


Tea Leaves and Purple Robes

by Noizchild



Series: Wasteland 2011 [27]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Apocalypse game, Baby, Dark Magic, Dying World, Love, Multi, Prophecy, Prophetic Dreams, Prophetic Visions, Reunion, Soulless!Italy, Witches, Woman in Red - Freeform, Worry, nightcomers - Freeform, seven seals, world panic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:01:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 45,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24992725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noizchild/pseuds/Noizchild
Summary: Vol. 9 is up. Ju is supposed to be happy with her husband and new baby, Jing. But the threat of Allison's interest in the children is making that too difficult to take place. Ju is starting to have visions that involve her son. Yao wants to help her but she won't up and talk to him. Meanwhile, the remaining six seals around the world are starting to break.
Relationships: China (Hetalia)/Original Female Character(s), Japan (Hetalia)/Original Female Character(s), Russia/Taiwan (Hetalia)
Series: Wasteland 2011 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/57711
Kudos: 3





	1. Jing, Worry, and Visions

Tea Leaves and Purple Robes

Match One: Jing, Worry, and Visions:

-Ju-

I love my son. Jing is the light of my life. But...

I looked down at Jin in his little crib. He's asleep tonight. I reached down and stroked his little cheek. So precious. I couldn't help as a small smile spread across my face. He's only been in this world for a week. He would not know anything about the world for years to come. I envied him. He doesn't have to worry about money, crime, safety, poverty, and everything wrong with the world. No, he just doesn't have to think at all. Lucky Little Bean.

Someone grabbed onto my shoulder.

I about jumped.

"It's okay, it's only me," Yao whispered. I turned around, panting.

"Oh…" I said.

"Can't sleep?" he asked. I shook my head. Yao looked down at the crib. Jing had fat little cheeks.

"He's gorgeous," I said.

"Yeah," my husband said. I should be happy. I have a beautiful baby boy. My husband loves me. My clan is stable again. Jianjun and Junjie are both in jail. Szu and her family can breathe again. Everything should be fine.

But why do I feel so uneasy?

Yao pulled me into his arms.

"What's the matter?" he asked. I looked up at him. The calm look in his eyes made me want to hate myself. How could I tell him what I was really thinking? Would he even believe me?

I shook my head.

"Ju…" he said.

"It's nothing," I lied. "I'm just tired." I walked over and sat down in the chair next to the crib. My head kept going back to that creepy English woman I ran into outside of the spice market. I see her standing over my son's crib. What the hell did she mean talking about a golden warrior? It gives me the creeps. I drew my knees to my chest as I trembled.

"Ju?" Yao asked. I looked up at him. He was frowning now.

"How can I help you when you won't tell what's wrong?" he asked. How could I? I keep having dreams of some lady standing over our son's crib and she gives me the creeps. He's not going to believe me.

I rubbed my forehead.

"I just have so much on my mind," I said. "And I don't think I can explain it." I am running out of ways to tell him that. It doesn't help that he keeps asking. Neither does the quiet outside. I have grown to hate the quiet.

* * *

The next morning, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked from the living room. I walked over to the front door and looked out the peep hole. Bik stood outside. I relaxed and opened the door.

"Good morning," I said. "What brings you by?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," she said.

"I'm fine," I said. "Do you want to come in?"

"Gladly!" Bik said. How did I guess? I stepped aside and let her inside. She always walked like she owned the place. This has been the daily ritual for a week now. Bik comes over and checks on Jing and me.

"Are how Biao and Chih?" I asked.

"Good," she said. "They are studying hard."

"Sounds just like them," I said. I noticed the serious look on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"How are you really?" she asked. Oh…

I lifted my chin.

"It's a bit complicated," I said. I sat down at the kitchen table and rubbed my forehead. Part of me could predict what she was going to say next.

"Would you like some tea?" Bik asked.

"No, thank you," I said. She turned to my tea kettle and plugged it up.

"I said that I didn't want any," I said.

"I know, dear," she said. "I'm making this for me." I frowned as she got to work. Why was I not surprised? Bik opened one of the cabinets and began looking around.

"Hm… Hm… Where did you put the tea?" she asked.

"It's in the back of the cabinet," I said. "I just bought some the other day."

"I can't see it," Bik said.

"It has a dark green and black flower on the front," I said. She stood on their tip-toes to look inside.

"See it yet?" I asked.

"Hang on," Bik said as she looked around. "Ah, here it is." She pulled out the bag of fresh tea. Bik filled up my kettle and turned it on. I watched as she set up her cup.

"Go on and say it," I said. Bik glanced over her shoulder at me.

"How are you really?" she asked. I sat up straight in my chair. How do I even begin to explain all of the shit going on in my head? I forced myself to smile.

"Where do you want me to start?" I asked. Bik turned around with a calm smile on her face.

"Where do you feel you need to start?" she asked. Of course she would say that.

"I just have so much going on in my mind," I said. I lowered my head, rubbing my forehead. "Do you want to hear something crazy?"

"Sure," Bik said. I lifted my chin.

"A couple of months back, there was this strange lady who walked up to me while Yao and I were out in the market, shopping," I said. "She started talking about this weird stuff about how my child was going to be some golden warrior for the apocalypse or something like that." I shook my head.

"It's just crazy to me," I said. I looked up at Bik, waiting for a reaction. Would she think that I was losing my mind? Would she brush off my concerns? She sat down in front of me.

"What did this woman look like?" she asked.

"She wore all black," I said. "She had her black hair down to her shoulders." I mimicked her hair by moving my hands down to my shoulders and hovering them there. "She had to be like in her forties or fifties, I think…" Bik narrowed her eyes as if lost in thought.

"Was she a foreigner?" she asked.

"Yes!" I said.

"Did she have an English accent?" Bik asked.

"Yes!" I said. I paused for a moment. "Wait… how did you know?"

"I think I saw that same woman you were talking at my clinic the other day," she said. My blood ran cold.

"No…" I said.

"Yeah, it was so weird," Bik said. "She didn't go inside. Just hung around outside for a good ten minutes before she left." I thought I was going to be sick.

"Ju?" she asked.

"I don't feel so good," I said in a small voice. I stood up and ran to the bathroom.

"Ju?" Bik asked as I heard her running after me. I shut the door behind me. I grabbed onto my sink, panting. It felt like the room was spinning. She's stalking my clan now?! No. No, no, no, no, no, no!

A knock came on the bathroom door.

"Ju? What's going on? Are you okay?" Bik asked.

"No!" I shouted. "I think I will have that tea after all!"

"I'll go get you a cup," she said. I didn't move until I heard footsteps walking away from the bathroom door. I sat down on the toilet and breathed out.

I haven't told anyone about the visions.

They began the day we brought Jing home. At first, they came through blurry. Just bursts of bright colors before they quickly disappeared. Over the past week, these visions have gotten stronger. It always started out with lighting crashing in the sky. I find myself starting in a field covered in blood. Bodies litter the ground. The smell of death makes me want to throw up. Clashing steel draws my attention to the sky.

Two figures clashed with each other in the sky. They were so far up that I couldn't see them. Neither wanted to yield. I tried screaming at them to stop but my voice couldn't reach them.

That's all I can remember from that vision. I have tried to remember what else happened but nothing came to my mind. But I am in a crisis. On the one hand, I want to forget. But on the other hand, I had to know. What did all of this mean? Why won't that crazy woman leave me alone? What does she want with my son?

I sat at my kitchen table, trembling.

"Here, drink this," Bik said as she handed me a cup of tea. I nodded as I took the cup. I took one quick gulp.

"Hot!" I shouted.

"Of course it is," she said. "It was just brewed." I nodded and took another slower drink. My baby started crying upstairs. I started to get up but Bik put her hand on my shoulder. I turned my head. She gave me a calm smile.

"Let me go take care of the little man," Bik said. "You just sit there and enjoy your tea." I settle back into place. But it did little to put me at ease. I mean, it's Bik. She practically raised me as a baby. But still…

"I will be right back," she said. I watched as she walked up the stairs. I stared down at my tea. I get that being a parent is being stressful but this is too much. I need to get a grip.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I looked up at the landline near the doorway. My attention turned to upstairs before I got up.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey, Ju," Yao said on the other line. "What did you want me to pick up again?" I sighed and shook my head. For once, I was actually smiling to myself.

"Pizza, my love," I said. "I want pizza for dinner tonight." Yao chuckled to himself.

"Oh yeah, that's right," he said.

"Did you get distracted by the deals again?"

"I apologize, dear."

I sat back down into my chair. "Nah, it's fine. Just don't forget again, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

I chuckled to myself. "Okay."

"Love you."

"I love you too." I hung up with a goofy smile on my face. I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the ceiling. By now, I could hear Bik walking back down the stairs. I turned my head to see her standing in the kitchen doorway.

"He's quieted down," she said.

"Nice," I said.

"I will have to leave for work in twenty minutes," Bik told me. "Call me if you need to talk."

"Okay," I said. "Thank you."

"Don't forget that we are all here for you," she added. "Have a good day." Bik bowed and saw herself out. I turned my eyes back up to the ceiling as the door closed. I found myself smiling like a drunk cat. Somehow, I think I am going to survive this somehow.


	2. Seedling

Match Two: Seedling:

Alfred's jaw dropped.

"Lydia. Is that…?" he began to ask.

"Yes, I believe so," Lydia said. They stared down at a little pale baby wrapped up in white blankets. Alfred walked forward and picked up the child. How could a baby look so small in his arms? This little child didn't make a sound.

"Is this child… mine?" Alfred asked.

"What do you mean?" Lydia asked. The American man shifted his eyes back and forth.

"Uh… we might have done some things while you were out elsewhere," he sheepishly admitted. The American man nervously chuckled. Lydia raised her eyebrow at him.

"So that's it," she said. Alfred frowned.

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"No," Lydia said. "It just explains everything." Alfred bounced the little baby in his eyes. The child hadn't opened their eyes yet. He hadn't seen a baby with long dark brown eyelashes before in his life.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Lydia rubbed her forehead.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she admitted. "I didn't think it was really possible either."

"You're kidding," the American man said.

"No," Lydia said.

"Ah!" Alfred said. He looked down at the baby in his big strong arms. "Dude! Did you hear that? You are rare. Yes you are. Yes you are!" The baby cooed as he bounced them.

"Careful! You're holding a baby!" Lydia said. Alfred ignored as he bounced the baby in his arms. Meanwhile, the child giggled.

* * *

Lydia and Alfred took the newborn to the hospital. They sat in the waiting room. The American man turned to the girl next to him.

"So what will we do now?" he asked. Lydia gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You know," Alfred said.

"The baby?"

"Yeah."

"Hm…"

"I want to do it."

Lydia titled her head. "Do what?" Alfred shrugged.

"Raise the baby," he said. She wrinkled her nose.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, nodding. Lydia didn't say a word. The American frowned when he noticed the look on her face.

"What?" he asked. Lydia shrugged and shook her head.

"Nothing," she said. "It's just…"

"What?" Alfred asked again. She opened her mouth to speak when the doors blew open. They spoke up when they saw the doctor carrying the baby in his arms. He had a smile on his face.

"She is in good health," he said. Alfred blinked for a moment.

"She?" he asked.

"That's right," the doctor said. "Congratulations, you have a healthy baby girl." Alfred tried to think of something to say but nothing came out. He covered his mouth.

"I have a little girl? I'm a father now? What?!" the American man finally asked. He fell to his knees in shock. Meanwhile, Lydia shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, doc," she said.

"Yes?" he asked. Lydia rose to her feet. She walked over to him with a serious look on her face.

"Can I see you in private?" the young woman asked in a soft whisper. He didn't even need to take a guess what this was about. The doctor turned his attention to Alfred.

"Mr. Jones, can you excuse us for a moment?" he asked. "Ms. Foxwell and I need to talk in private for a moment." The American man had a confused look on his face.

"O… Okay…" he said. The doctor gave him a reassuring look.

"This won't take long," he said. "We will be back soon." Alfred had to make himself smile as he nodded. The doctor, Lydia, and the baby went into the back.

* * *

There was so much that the baby needed. Alfred stopped by the different stores before heading home.

"We're going to need so many things," he said.

"Uh-huh," Lydia said. Clothes, food, baby furniture, toys, diapers, books, and hygiene products. Alfred couldn't help but squeal to himself in public. Lydia shook her head.

"Can you calm down?" she asked. Alfred laughed aloud. Lydia rubbed her forehead. Okay, he was excited to be a dad. But still…

"Just let me do all of the shopping," Lydia spoke up. "I don't want you to blow the budget today." She walked ahead and took the lead. The American man shrugged to himself.

"Okay!" he said. Lydia sighed and shook her head.

"Hey, Lydia," Alfred said.

"What?" she asked.

"Where is she going to stay—your place or mine?" he asked. Lydia was about to say her house but took a moment to think about it instead.

That's when he had to suggest something crazy.

"Come live at my place," Alfred said. Lydia slowed down in her tracks and turned her head.

"What?!" she shouted.

"I'm serious," Alfred said. "If not, I can come live with you." Lydia's eyes shifted back and forth.

"You sure about that?" she asked.

"Yes!" the American man said, nodding. He looked like a little puppy waiting for her to throw the ball. He sounded so sincere too. Boy, she felt bad about this.

"Oh…" Lydia mumbled. Alfred began to frown a little.

"No?" he asked. "But why not?" The young woman quickly shook her head.

"No! No! It's not that!" she said. "It's just…"

"What?" Alfred asked. Lydia quickly shook her head.

"Nothing!" she lied. "Nothing at all. Just forget it." Lydia started walking towards their destination again. Alfred looked a little hurt as he looked down at his daughter.

"I don't understand why your aunt doesn't like me, dude," he said. The baby cooed in his arms. A stroller would be nice too.

* * *

The shopping trip felt so awkward. Lydia wouldn't even look at him. Alfred frowned as they looked through the baby clothes.

"Are you mad?" he asked. The young woman frowned.

"No," she said. Alfred frowned.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked. Lydia stopped in her tracks. She gritted her teeth.

"How long are you going to stick around?" the young woman asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Lydia whipped around. Her fists trembled at her side.

"I don't understand you!" she complained. "Why do you even care so much? She's dead because of you." Alfred looked at her.

"You miss her, don't you?" he asked. Lydia looked away with tears in her eyes. The American man walked up and pulled her into his arms.

"I loved her very much and I still do," he whispered. "It's okay. It's okay." She didn't even try to fight him off. The baby cried between them. Alfred quickly backed away.

"Oh, sorry about that, little dude," he said to her. He bounced her up and down to calm her down.

"Shhh. Shhh. Shhh," the American man whispered. Lydia stood there was a blank look on her face. What was this? She slowly shook her head. He managed to get the baby to quiet down.

"There," Alfred whispered. "I didn't mean to do that you, little dude." Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Can you at least not call her that?" she asked. The American man looked up at her.

"Then what should we call her?" he asked. Lydia paused.

"Oh," she said.

"Let's just do the shopping and then name her," Alfred quickly said. The young woman nodded.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah," she said. "Sure." The American man perked up as he looked through the brightly-colored dresses in front of him. Lydia started looking in her section of clothes as well. This would have to do, for now, she guessed.

* * *

They didn't take long to set up the nursery. Lydia decided to move in with Alfred.

"What will you do with your house?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said after some thought.

"Maybe you should rent it out," the American man suggested.

"To whom?" Lydia asked. Alfred shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm sure that you can find someone." Alfred bounced the baby girl in his arms and chuckled. Lydia narrowed her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"It's funny," he said. "Florence promised she would stay by my side forever. But I didn't think she would keep it like this." Alfred rocked the baby back and forth. Lydia leaned against the half-assembled crib. She couldn't help but smile for some reason.

Lydia remembered the talk she had with the doctor days earlier.

"So she is a half-breed?" she asked. "A _real_ half-breed?"

"Yes," the doctor said. Lydia shifted with the baby in her seat.

"So… what does that mean?" she asked. "Will she die young too?" The doctor took off his glasses.

"I don't know what to tell you yet," he said. "I haven't seen anything like it before."

"What should I do then?" Lydia asked. He rested his hand atop hers.

"Just take her home and raise her right," he said. Lydia looked unsettled at those words before slowly nodding.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, yes."

Lydia couldn't bring herself to tell Alfred what she found out. Not just yet anyway. Let him be happy with his daughter for now. She would stay by them and keep watch over the little baby until a problem came up. That should be okay, right?

It took about three days to get everything set up. The baby girl's room was painted green, pink, and white. Lydia set up her room in one of the other back rooms. Alfred couldn't help but be content.

Three days later, the American man showed his new daughter off to the remaining sane countries.

"She's so cute," Ivan said.

"Isn't she?" Alfred asked. The baby slept peacefully in his arms.

"What are you going to name her?" Francis asked. "Are you going to name her something like Wonder Woman or Supergirl?" The American man shook his head.

"Nope," he said. "I'm just going to simply name her Florence." The little baby looked so pink in his arms.

Well, you know what they say about happy moments in the Wasteland…


	3. Chibiusa Enoki

Match Three: Chibiusa Enoki:

Fujiwara Mihoko-sensei looked through her files. This didn't make any sense. She had been listening to the tapes, reading the notes, and watching the videos. But none of it made sense.

"What am I missing here?" Fujiwara asked. She picked up one of the tapes and put it in the recorder. The therapist hit play.

Session #38: Honda Kiku

"Tell me again," Fujiwara-sensei said. Kiku's panting filled the room.

"Catch your breath," she said. Her patient took a small gulp.

"Take your time if you need to."

"Okay."

-There is a long pause here-

"Talk to me. What did you see back in December. Take your time if you have to."

"Okay…" -Pause- "I was in bed at home. Sena was visiting her family at the time."

"Why didn't you go with her?"

Fujiwara-sensei hit stop on the tape player. She heard it again. Every time he answers questions like that, the therapist would hear a low whispering on the recording. At first, Fujiwara-sensei thought she was hearing things. She's played this tape about twenty times now. There came that voice again.

The therapist couldn't make out what it said. Here's what she knew so far. The voice sounded like a girl to her. Every attempt to decipher what was sound led to dead ends. Her colleagues couldn't figure it out either.

"Maybe there's a malfunction in the tape?" her boss offered. There was no way a whole pack of tapes could malfunction like that. That voice would appear at random spots but only when Kiku spoke.

That wasn't the only thing, however.

Kiku kept talking about the End of Days. Under normal circumstances, Fujiwara-sensei would've chalked it up to demented babble of a tormented man. But something didn't feel right about this.

She fast forward through the tape and hit play.

Session #38: Honda Kiku

"Tell me about the seven seals."

-He can be heard biting on his nails-

"Honda-san? Honda-san?"

-Kiku mumbled an answer-

"Pardon?"

"The righteous man will fall to sin."

"The righteous man will fall to sin? What does that mean?"

-That damned voice whispers over his answer-

Fujiwara-sensei hit stop. Kiku wouldn't stop talking about them. She can't make heads or tails of it. Her colleagues couldn't answer her questions. Some even tried to change the subject. Funny. They all seemed scared of something.

"Do you know what happened to his last therapist?" another psychiatrist asked.

"Wasn't he murdered?" Fujiwara-sensei asked.

"Yes," she said. "They never caught the people who did it." The older woman's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" she asked. The other woman nodded once.

"Oh no," Fujiwara-sensei said. "But what does that have to do with Honda-san?" The younger woman looked around for a moment.

"You didn't hear this from me," she said. "But it is rumored that he might have heard something that he shouldn't have." Fujiwara-sensei gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "What did Honda-san say?" The younger therapist lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I've said too much," she whispered. "Forget I said anything." The young therapist hurried back to her office. Fujiwara-sensei was just left standing there, blinking.

"But why?" she asked. The therapist never got an answer.

Fujiwara-sensei rubbed her forehead. None of this made any sense. Then there were the nightmares.

Oh sweet kami.

She keeps seeing her. Just the mere sight of her filled the therapist with dread. Her hair floated around her. She held out her arms as if to welcome Fujiwara-sensei. Her eyes looked do dead. But that smile… Oh kami that damned smile!

The therapist would wake up in a cold sweat. It didn't make any sense. Lately, she couldn't get that damned smile out of her head. Fujiwara-sensei had to get to the bottom of this. She got all of the notes from the previous therapists. Her boss wasn't too sure about this.

"Please, do not get involved," he pleaded her. Fujiwara-sensei gave him a strange look.

"But he is my patient," she said. "I can't abandon Honda-san now. He needs my help." Her boss gave her a sympathetic look.

"Some people are beyond help," he told her. The old man reluctantly handed over the files.

"Thank you," was all Fujiwara-sensei said. She gathered up the files and walked out of her boss' office.

That was five days ago.

Fujiwara-sensei couldn't stop reading over her predecessor's notes. At first, they didn't make any sense. If it was any other "normal" situation, she would've thought that Kiku was just having a nervous breakdown. But nothing seemed to have triggered it. His home life was normal. Sena may have been wild and was too much for his age but she loved him, nevertheless. Retirement was going great for him. His friends were good to him.

Fujiwara-sensei froze. Friends?

She pulled out the box of tapes and looked through each one. Let's see. Which one was it? Which one was it? Her finger went down to the last tape at the bottom.

August 29, 2014

Fujiwara-sensei looked at the box front and back. She began to piece together what this session was about. Sena managed to get Kiku back into therapy. Fujiwara-sensei didn't know why she was looking at this. There wasn't much out of this session that stuck out in her mind. But it couldn't hurt but to take a listen, right?

The therapist opened the tape box and replace the tape with the other one in the player. She pressed play.

Session #50

"Tell me again what you mean by 'the righteous man will fall to sin.'"

-A pause-

"Come on. Take your time if you need to. It's just going to be you and me today. I have no other clients today. You have my full attention."

-Kiku chews on his nails-

"What do you mean that the righteous man will fall to sin?"

"Italy."

"What about it?"

"My friend."

"What about your friend?"

Fujiwara-sensei sat up when she heard that damned whispering again. She should be used to it by now. It wasn't like she hadn't heard it every session. But this one was different. The therapist caught it just as Kiku was about to answer her. The words came through loud and clear.

"You don't know what you are digging for, doc."

The whispering almost made her fall out of her chair. She back, panting. A determined look on her face. No, she was not going to get scared off from this. Fujiwara had listened to these tapes many times. She read over the notes. She had many years of experience. Nothing should have surprised her as such.

Fujiwara-sensei stretched her neck from side to side. She was going to tackle this tonight. The therapist took a breath and rewound the tape back.

Session #50

"What about your friend?"

-Kiku started mumbling to himself-

"I'm sorry?"

"He sold his soul."

"He sold his soul?"

-Silence-

"What does that mean?"

-Silence-

"Honda-san? Honda-san?"

-Kiku started to make small choking noises-

"Honda-san?!"

-The gagging noises grew louder-

"Oh god! Someone call 119! Call 119!"

-The gagging noises grew worse-

Suddenly, the power went out. Fujiwara-sensei jerked her head upwards when the tape player cut off and the lights shut out.

"Huh?! What's going on?!" she shouted. The therapist's eyes slowly shifted to her left when she heard the door creak open.

"Hello?" she asked. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway. The therapist narrowed her eyes for a better look. The figure looked to be a small child looking in from the doorway. They looked like they were wearing a hat with pigtails. Fujiwara-sensei tilted her head.

"Are you lost?" she asked. No answer.

"Where are your parents?" the therapist asked. No answer. The child-shaped figure stepped away from the doorway.

"Hey!" Fujiwara-sensei shouted. She jumped to her feet and ran over to the door. The darkened hallway was empty. She rubbed her forehead and frowned.

"Am I losing it?" Fujiwara asked herself. The therapist happened to look when she heard footsteps running away at the end of the hall. She could only see a glimpse before it turned the corner.

"Hey!" Fujiwara-sensei shouted. "Come back here!" The therapist took off running after the figure. In the darkness, she could make out the backside of a little girl. The black ponytails swung back and forth. She kept her head down and didn't stop walking. The child seemed to get further away from the therapist. She tried to reach out to the little girl.

"Come back here!" Fujiwara-sensei shouted at her. The girl didn't slow down. The therapist gritted her teeth. Damn it.

The little girl opened the lady's washroom door and walked inside. Fujiwara-sensei followed her inside. Suddenly, the therapist paused.

"Are you in here?" she asked. Only her voice echoed against the walls. Despite the power being out, Fujiwara-sensei could hear a low buzzing behind her. She whipped her head around.

There was no one there.

It was then that Fujiwara-sensei regretted not bringing her cell phone with her. She realized this when she reached into her pocket. It didn't help that she was probably the only one left in the building. Her boss left hours ago. Maybe the janitor was still left. Fujiwara-sensei turned to walked out of the bathroom.

Huh? When was this door locked? She didn't remember ever locking it on her way in. Fujiwara-sensei turned the handle harder.

"Hey!" the therapist shouted. "Is there anyone out there? I'm locked in! Can you please let me out? Help! Help!" She started pounding on the door while shouting. Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise. Fujiwara froze. Before she could move, something or someone grabbed onto her right arm. Against her better judgement, Fujiwara-sensei looked down. A girl of age six dug her tiny little nails into the skin. Her red and white dress stood out against her cold skin. Her black bangs couldn't hide her dead eyes. The little girl opened her mouth wide enough to be a black hole.

A loud meowing name filled the dark bathroom.

* * *

In the morning, her colleagues began looking for her. Her car had been parked in the parking lot all night. Fujiwara-sensei didn't pick up her phone. Already, everyone feared the worst.

A morning janitor was making his rounds around the building. The last spot that he hadn't cleaned was the bathrooms. He walked up to the ladies' room and turned the handle.

"Did I lock this last night?" he asked himself. The old man shrugged to himself and unlocked the door. No sooner had he opened the door a wash of horror coated his face. Fujiwara-sensei's body lay on the floor with her arms out like she was being crucified. All of the color had drained from her face. Her jaw was wide open with her eyes looking blank. The janitor gasped and ran down the hall.

It didn't take long for the police to arrive. They wrapped up the body and took it away. Her colleagues stood outside watching as she was being loaded into a silent ambulance. They whispered about how this was happening all over again. All therapy sessions were canceled for the day.

In Fujiwara-sensei's office, her tape player hit play by itself. The final message of session fifty filled the room.

Session #50

-Long moments of silent-

"It's coming. It's coming. I'm coming!"

The tape and rewound itself back to the beginning.


	4. Angelo Caduto

Match Four: Angelo Caduto:

Lovino couldn't sleep. His house had become an uneasy place to stay. He could leave but he had his reasons not to. The older Italian man looked through all of the notes that the Catholic church gave him. So far, he didn't have any luck.

Lovino rubbed his forehead.

"What am I missing here?" he asked. The Italian man looked at all of the papers in front of him. None of it made any sense.

"What's the matter, big brother?" a forced worried voice asked. Lovino leapt up in his chair and whipped around. Feliciano stood in the doorway with a lifeless smile on his face. His eyes half open looked so dead. Just looking at his brother made Lovino tremble.

"Don't scare me like that, you dumbass!" he shouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Feliciano said. No emotion. Just hollow. Empty. Lovino shook his head.

"No, it's fine," he said.

"What's the matter?" the younger brother asked. "Can't sleep?"

"No," Lovino said.

"Oh," Feliciano said. The brothers stared at each other in silence.

"Why are you up?" the older brother asked.

"Can't sleep," the younger man said. Lovino leaned back in his chair. When had Feliciano ever slept? He seemed to be going out every night. Where, Lovino didn't want to know.

"Oh," his brother said. "Did you need something?" Feliciano shook his head.

"No," he said.

"Okay…" Lovino said. The lingering silence didn't help. The younger man just stood there, staring.

"Can you please stop doing that?" the older Italian man asked.

"Doing what?" Feliciano asked.

"Stop staring at me like that," Lovino said. "It's creeping me out."

"Sorry," the younger brother said. The older Italian man sighed and rubbed his forehead. He just shoved the papers into his desk and walked out of the office.

He stopped short just outside the doorway.

"What did you say?" Lovino asked. Feliciano turned his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Why would you think that I did?" His brother shook his head.

"No reason," he said. Lovino walked back to his room. He could've sworn that Feliciano was muttering something under his breath.

* * *

Lovino wasn't the only one who noticed.

Feliciano was different. Everything about him felt so fake. His smiles had become so cold. The Italian man kept to himself. He didn't try to talk to anyone at the World Meetings. Usually, his high energy could brighten up a room. Lately, that energy had become dark. Dull. Almost dead. The other countries couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Good morning, Feliciano," Francis greeted him at the building. The Italian man turned to him. He stared at France with those half-open dead eyes of his.

"Good morning," he said. The man didn't stay and chat. Feliciano just walked inside. Francis shivered as the door swung closed.

The Italian man looked so bored at today's meeting. He looked like he was ready to run out the door. Alfred ran his mouth while all eyes stayed on the younger Italian man. He wasn't drawing like he normally did. Feliciano was bored but didn't doze off. He wasn't even thinking about pasta like he normally did.

It didn't take long for whispering to follow.

"Does he seem a bit off to you?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"What happened to him?"

"Something isn't right with him."

"When did this change happen?"

"Should we do something?"

"What can we do?"

"Does Ludwig even know?"

Feliciano could hear what they were saying. But it didn't faze him. Let them talk. Nothing they could do could change him.

* * *

"Have you visited Ludwig yet?" Lovino asked.

"No," Feliciano said over dinner.

"Are you going to see him?" the older brother asked.

"No," the younger man said. Lovino froze with his fork in hand.

"No?" he asked. His brother shook his head.

"No," Feliciano said again.

"What do you mean no?" his brother asked. "Why?" The younger Italian man shrugged.

"Don't feel like it," he said.

"But isn't he your best friend?"

"Best… friend?"

"Yes. You love him."

"Love?"

Lovino's stomach dropped. How could these concepts be so foreign to his brother? Feliciano was all about love and friendship.

It was then his brother noticed his plate.

"You're hungry?" Lovino asked. Feliciano looked down at his plate. He hadn't touched his pasta at all. Feliciano had an icy smile on his face.

"No," he said. That wasn't it either.

"You haven't eaten any pasta for five days now," Lovino said.

"No?"

"What's the matter? You sick or something?" He reached over to touch him on the forehead. Feliciano shoved away his hand.

"No," he said. Wasn't there any emotion left? Lovino raised his eyebrow.

"Then… what's the deal?" he asked. Feliciano just shrugged.

"I don't want it," he said. The color drained from Lovino's face.

"What?!" he asked.

"What?" the younger Italian man asked. "I just don't really like it anymore."

"You what?!" Lovino asked. His brother shoved his plate forward.

"In fact, I'm not hungry anymore," Feliciano said. He got up from the table and walked away.

"Feliciano!" Lovino shouted after him. The door closed behind him.

* * *

Where does Feliciano go at night? He's goes out and doesn't come back until about three in the morning. The Italian man stepped out of house and paused.

"Oh. You're here early," he said. He turned to see Sabine stepping forward.

"Good evening," she said. She stood inches away from him. The nightcomer bowed her head. Feliciano put up his hand.

"Please," he said. "What brings you by?" Sabine had the smile of a fallen angel.

"We have an appointment tonight," she said. Feliciano raised his eyebrow.

"Oh?" he asked. Sabine held out her hand.

"Come along and we shall see," she said.

"Heh. Gladly," Feliciano said. He took her hand and followed her down his stairs.

From upstairs, Lovino watched from his bedroom window. His stomach dropped.

"Who was that?" he asked himself.

* * *

Sabine led Feliciano further into the city. He asked no questions. The Italian man still had a dull look on his face. Come to think of it, Sabine did look kind of cute. He did entertain the thought about a bit of carnal delight with her.

"No," Sabine said without turning around.

"Hm?" the Italian man asked.

"Not a chance," she said. Feliciano shrugged with no emotion on his face.

"A man can try," he said. The nightcomer shook her head. They disappeared down a narrow alley. Sabine held out her hand and waved it in a circle. A giant portal opened up in front of them. Feliciano followed behind wordlessly. Their footsteps echoed in the tunnel. The old Italian man would've been scared shitless.

"It's kind of homey in here," he said to no one in particular. Sabine just ignored him. They stopped in the middle of the darkness. Feliciano had that cold smile on his face.

"Oh," he said. "You're here."

* * *

Lovino picked up the phone back at the house.

"Antonio," he said. "We're got a problem. It's worse than I thought."


	5. Bargain

Match Five: Bargain:

Im Yong sat across from Mi-Soon in the booth. How long has it been since they seen each other in person? His sister picked up her menu.

"How have you been?" she asked in a low voice. His eyes shifted away from her.

"Good," he said. "I'm good. And you?"

"I'm doing good," Mi-Soon said, not looking up. "But I am worried about you." Im Yong looked so confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked. His sister grabbed him by the hands.

"Time is running out," Mi Soon said in a stern voice. "I don't want you to die."

"What are you talking about?" the older twin asked. "Why would I die?" The color drained from Mi Soon's face.

"It's Kiku," she whispered. Im Yong gave her a puzzled look.

"What about him?" he asked. A waitress walked up to their table. The twins looked up at her. The woman took a step back.

"Do you need more time?" she asked.

"Yes," the twins said together. The waitress said nothing as she turned around and walked away. Mi Soon turned back to her brother.

"You know I love you," she said. "That's why I am giving you a chance to save you." Im Yong slowly shook his head.

"I don't understand you," he said. "I don't understand any of this."

"And I envy you for that," Mi Soon said in a quiet voice. Her mind played back all of the horror that she had learned about over the course of eighteen months. She still had nightmares from all of the images that played in her head.

"Are you okay?" her brother asked. The younger twin looked away. Her hands trembled on the table.

* * *

It didn't used to be like this.

Things were simpler then. Im Yong and Mi Soon were really close. Yao looked after them both. The twins were inseparable. In those days, Im Yong filled in the more adventurous role of the two. She always followed her twin's lead. Mi Soon would've been happy if it would've stayed that way forever.

Fate said no to that.

One summer, Mi Soon lifted her head on the porch.

"Big brother," she said. Im Yong was slowly drawing his eyes closed.

"Hm?" he asked. Mi Soon scooted closer to his tiny body. She rested her head on his chest.

"Will you stay with me forever?" the little girl asked. Im Yong glanced over at her. Her little doe eyes made her look like a doll lying on top of him. He pretended to be going to sleep as he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah," the little boy said. His sister frowned and smacked him in the side.

"Ow," the little boy said.

"Please?" Mi Soon asked.

"Okay, okay," her twin said. "I will stay with you."

"Forever?" the little girl asked. He held out his pinky finger.

"Forever," Im Yong said. She smiled as she wrapped her pinky around his.

But fate saw to this promise otherwise.

* * *

"I am risking my life meeting up with you like this," Mi Soon said in present day.

"I know," Im Yong said. His sister lifted her head.

"I love you so much," she said. "Why won't you let me save you?" Im Yong tried to speak but nothing came out. This was just going to go into another circle. Mi Soon sat, waiting. Her brother buried his head in his hands.

"I just don't understand," he said. "It makes no sense!"

"Then answer me this," his sister said. "Haven't you noticed that Feliciano has been acting strange lately?" Her older brother froze.

"Wait… how do you know that?" he asked.

"My boss tells everything," she said. The color drained from her brother's face. Mi Soon grabbed his hand.

"It's okay," she said. "We only watch to keep up with the world." Im Yong withdrew his hand.

"Im Yong," she said. He shook his head.

"It doesn't make sense," the older twin complained. Mi Soon looked around for a bit. She reached into her bag by her side.

"I am risking my life by doing this," his sister said. She shoved a thick file into his hands.

"What is this?" Im Yong asked.

"Everything you need to know," Mi Soon said. "Please read it. It will save your life. I am risking my life for this."

"Yes, I heard you the first time," her brother said. The older twin took the folder and was about to leave, Mi Soon grabbed him by the wrist.

"No," she said. Im Yong tilted his head.

"What is it now?" he asked.

"Please?" Mi Soon asked. "Don't go. Stay." Im Yong looked into her doe eyes. This was just like in their childhood. He stood have just pulled away and walked out of the restaurant. It seemed so easy.

Im Yong sat down in front of her. Mi Soon perked up.

"Thank you," she said in a low voice. A waitress came to their table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked.

"Yes," Mi Soon said. Im Yong just nodded. The waitress took their drink orders.

* * *

That evening, Im Yong stared at the files on his bed. What he read made his stomach drop. In the beginning, it didn't make any sense. The handwriting looked like a child's. It didn't help that the pages were out of order. Im Yong had to do his best to rearrange everything. Took him about four tries to get close to right. Even after the last time he wasn't sure if he got the order right. The Korean boy would have to do the best he could.

What he read would make him regret going to the restaurant.

At first, it all looked like the notes were babbling. Im Yong turned the pages looking confused. Why would Mi Soon believe this shit? Conspiracy sites made more sense than these notes. He should've stopped by that point.

That's when he saw that picture.

The person couldn't have been more than fifteen. The face was wrapped up in bandages. Only the eyes and nose had holes. The hands were wrapped up as well. Only the blanket covered their lap. The head lulled to the side. Something about that photo made Im Yong's stomach turn. He read the caption below.

"Patient Ten."

Where did they get this picture? Im Yong turned the page. Another picture appeared. It looked like a wrapped up corpse nailed to a cross. Chains held the cloth down are the body. Blood seemed to be seeping out from where the torso should be. Something black stained where the nose and mouth came from. Im Yong could hear screaming coming from the picture. He forced himself to read the caption below.

"Michael."

Im Yong turned back a page. He read the information by the picture. This patient came from Eastern Europe. Man in his mid-twenties. Not much else was known about him. From what the young Korean man could gather was that this was an experiment to open up the "wrath of heaven". Im Yong had to reread those three words.

Wrath of Heaven.

"What does that even mean?" he asked. The young man just had to keep going. This wasn't the first time this experiment had been carried out. The first one had been carried out as far back as 1708. Details from that experiment have been lost to time. This last one was carried out in 1977. It stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Or that's what the official records.

Im Yong jumped up when he heard his phone ringing. The young man looked around. He spotted his phone sitting on the nightstand. Im Yong frowned to himself.

"Damn it," he muttered. He crawled over to his nightstand.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Im Yong?" he heard a woman ask. A puzzled look came over his face.

"Vietnam?" he asked.

"How have you been?" she asked. Im Yong rubbed his forehead.

"Fine," he mumbled. "Why are you calling me so late?"

"What do you mean?" Vietnam asked. "It's only 8:30."

"Huh?" Im Yong asked as he looked at his phone. He was right.

"Oh," he said.

"Are you okay?" Vietnam asked.

"Uh, yeah, yeah," her brother said. "I just had a long day."

"Did you see her again?" the older woman asked. Im Yong froze. He pressed his lips together as he looked down at the notes at his feet.

"Yes," the Korean boy mumbled.

"Im Yong! You know you can't trust her!"

"I know!"

"What did she even want?"

The Korean boy rubbed his forehead. "I don't really know." He sighed and looked at the notes on the floor. How the hell could he explain what his sister told him?

"Listen to me," Vietnam said. "Mi Soon is not the same as she was when you were kids. Her boss is poisoning her mind. She doesn't know what she is saying. You can't listen to her words. Do you understand me?" Im Yong looked around his room.

"Do you understand me?" Vietnam asked again.

"Uh… yeah, yeah," Im Yong said. "I understand." She breathed out on the other line.

"Good," the Vietnamese woman said. She didn't sound too convinced though. His sister paused over the phone.

"Listen," Vietnam said. "I will come by tomorrow. I will stay with you for the day, okay?"

"Alright," Im Yong said. He nodded as he spoke.

"Good," she said again. Unease washed over her brother. He looked out his bedroom window at his sister's house. The curtain twitched at her bedroom window. Could she be…?

Im Yong shook his head to himself.

"Im Yong?" Vietnam asked.

"Listen," the young Korean man said. "I have to go."

"What do you mean? Are you okay?" Vietnam asked. The young Korean man closed his eyes.

"Good night, sis," he said. He hung up before she could say another word. Im Yong walked over to his window. By now, the curtain had gone still. What was that just now? Was Mi Soon really watching him just now? Why would she do that? Did she really not trust him?

Im Yong rubbed his forehead.

"It's getting late. I probably should get some sleep," he said to himself. "Yeah, that's it." The boy packed up the notes and put them on his desk. He walked into the bathroom to change into his pajamas. Usually, he would stay up and play video games. But his heart wasn't in it tonight. When he came back into the room, he didn't know what to expect. Im Yong took one look at the notes his sister gave him before going to bed.

He couldn't get the images of "Patient Ten" and "Michael" out of his head.


	6. Archangel

Match Six: Archangel:

Allison and her daughters had another mission in this game. They needed to get the edge over the Tandeki Group for a change. An old friend of Allison's might have found a way. The idea was floated to her on a Sunday.

"What are you telling me?" Allison asked over tea. The gentleman in his fifties set down his teacup.

"There was another group that played the game in the past," he said. "Only back then, they called it opening up the Wrath of Heaven." He took out a small notebook and handed it across the table. Allison picked it up and opened it.

"Michael? Gabriel? Raphael?" she asked. The nightcomer looked up. "Are you suggesting…?" Her friend shrugged.

"Just a thought," he said. "Though, I have to warn you. This won't be easy. They haven't been seen in decades. Plus, there aren't any notes on how it works. That time kept everything close to their chests."

"And if I have them, I could be ahead of Tandeki by a few points?" she asked.

"Theoretically, yes," her friend said. That was all she needed to hear. Allison took a sip of her tea.

"Thank you for letting me know," she said.

* * *

Allison now had three tasks she needed to win this game. Breed the tadpoles for a god in the new world, find the Golden warrior, and locate the archangels. Hecate didn't get it at first.

"You want us to do what now?" she asked.

"Finding the Wrath of Heaven," Allison said. Her daughters looked just as confused. Arthur sat in the back looking dazed. Hecate tilted her head.

"You're asking us to find three archangels that haven't been seen in years?" she asked. Allison held up her hand as she smiled.

"Hold it," she said. "We know where two of them are." The mother waved her hands in the air. Little white sparkles began to form. Her daughters gathered around for a look.

"Michael is buried deep in Rome," Allison said. "Raphael is in Sao Palo."

"And Gabriel?" Hecate asked.

"We don't know," Allison said. "Even my magic can't find it." The woman lowered her hands. She turned to her daughters.

"Sabine, Tessa," she said. "I will need you to go out and find the angels. It will be up to you to choose which destination you want."

"Yes, mother," the younger nightcomers said. Hecate kept to herself. Her mother just had to win. But Hecate could already see how this would end. She had to branch out to win.

* * *

-Michael-

Sabine led Feliciano into the darkness. The Italian man had a cold smile his face.

"So what was it that you wanted to show me?" he asked. Sabine looked over her shoulder and giggled.

"Something really beautiful," she said.

"Beautiful?" he asked. Such a concept seemed alien to him now. The Italian man's world had become so dull now. Color didn't exist to him anymore.

Right now, Dr. Faust stood in front of them with his black cloak. He tipped his hat to the pair.

"Good evening," he said.

"Do you have it?" Sabine asked. The pale doctor gave her a twisted grin.

"Why yes," he said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You better not be lying to me," Sabine said.

"Follow me," Dr. Faust said. He turned and walked further into the darkness. Sabine followed behind. Feliciano followed behind without a single thought. The three of them walked down a winding staircase. The Italian man let his mind go blank. Only the sounds of their footsteps filled the void. He kept his eyes on Sabine's hair. Sure she was a nightcomer, but she was still a woman. She would probably mean nothing to him in the end. Sabine probably made the right call in turning him down. Feliciano didn't feel that words were needed for any of this.

They made it to the bottom of the stairs. Dr. Faust put his hand on what seemed to be invisible air. He turned to his guests.

"Here it is," he said. The corrupt doctor pushed open the doors. A cool breeze hit them in the faces. Dark purple lighting washed over Feliciano's face. He could hear the pulsing noise from the other side of the room. Sabine stood on her tip toes.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Down there," Dr. Faust said, pointing downwards. Sabine walked forward to look down. She was about to walk in further when Dr. Faust grabbed her arm. The nightcomer turned her head.

"If you go down there," he said. "You're not coming back up again." Sabine tilted her head.

"How do I get the angel?" she asked.

"You don't," Dr. Faust said. He pulled her back away from the door in time.

"You have to bind yourself to Michael," the corrupt doctor said. Sabine raised her eyebrow.

"And how do I do that?" she asked.

"You have to give up something valuable in exchange," Dr. Faust said.

"Hm," the nightcomer said. Feliciano stood in the background, silent. He could see where this was heading. The question was, what was Sabine willing to bind herself to that creature? Dr. Faust broke into a huge grin.

"So, what will it be, my dear?" he asked.

* * *

-Raphael-

The plane touched down in Brazil. Tessa stood out from the crowd. She straightened up her sunglasses. She had a suspicion of where to start looking. Tessa pulled out her phone.

"Time to get to work," she said to herself. Her guide was to greet her here. Look for a man in a tan suit and a red flower. The nightcomer looked out into the crowd. She just wanted to get this over with and get back to her own mission.

* * *

-London-

The phone rang back in Arthur's flat.

"Hello?" Allison asked. The call didn't have to last long.

"I understand," she said. "Thank you. Goodbye." The supreme hung up the phone. Allison smirked to herself. The whole time, Arthur watched her in a daze.


	7. Good News, Boyfriend, and Intervention

Match Seven: Good News, Boyfriend, and Intervention:

-Ju-

This morning, I woke up to an odd text message from Tina. Hm? I tapped the screen. I became puzzled at first. There was a picture of a little pink plus sign. I narrowed my eyes.

"What the…?" I asked. I scrolled down on the message. My eyes widened at the next part of the text.

"Twenty-four weeks."

It didn't take long to put it all together. I gasped and called her up.

"Hello?" Tina asked.

"You're pregnant?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. We squealed like little high school girls over the phone.

"Congratulations!" I said.

"Twenty-four weeks along," she said. "I waited until I was a few weeks along."

"I'm so happy for you," I said. In a way, it was kind of strange. Tina actively said that she didn't want any children. A confused look came over my face.

"What changed your mind?" I asked.

"It just happened, really," Tina said.

"It's Brandon's, isn't it?"

"Yep."

I whistled. "You finally got him to settle down." I quickly looked around my living room as if Yao and Jing were listening.

"How did you do it?" I asked. Tina giggled over the other line.

"Secret," she said. I narrowed my eyes.

"Do you think it will hold?" I asked.

"I'm damn well going to try," Tina said after a beat. I didn't know how to feel about that. But I was sure Tina could do that.

"How are you and Jing?" she asked. That question brought me back into reality.

"Oh, good, good," I said. "He's sleeps really well and he looks so cute."

"I will have to come see you all one day," Tina said. "I'm sorry that I haven't kept up with you." I smiled and shook my head.

"No, it's fine," I said. "It's been crazy here lately."

"Are you fine this weekend up?" Tina asked.

"Of course," I said. "Where do you want to meet up?"

"The usual spot?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Which usual spot?"

"That restaurant near the bookstore."

"You mean the fancy one?"

"That's right. I'm paying this time. Bye-bye." Tina hung up before I could argue back. I frowned at my phone. Why does she have to do this? She never lets me pay.

* * *

Tina wasn't the only one with good news.

My doorbell rang.

"Coming!" I shouted. I rushed over to the door. My heart jumped when I looked out the peep hole. Mei stood outside with a man by her side. My eyes lit up as I opened the door.

"Mei!" I said. "It's so good to see you!" She and I bowed.

"How are you?" Mei asked.

"Great," I said. "And you?"

"I am doing good," my dear friend said. I turned to the man standing next to her. The man towered over her. His hair was dyed light brown and cut in a messy way. His ears were pierced. He had on jeans and black t-shirt.

"Oh and who is this?" I asked. Mei wrapped her arms around the tall man.

"This is Longwei," she said. "My boyfriend." I gasped as I covered my mouth.

"Boyfriend?" I asked.

"Sup?" he asked.

"Uh… so nice to meet you," I said. I bowed again. "Care to come in?"

"Duh!" Mei said. "Why would you ask?" She and Longwei followed me into the house.

"How's that baby?" Mei asked.

"Great," I said. "Jing's upstairs asleep."

"Ah, I see," she said. I smiled to myself.

* * *

We all sat in my living room.

"Can I get you some tea?" I asked.

"No, we aren't staying long," Mei said. "We have to go and meet my parents." I had a stunned look on my face.

"That serious, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. Wow. Mei usually just casually dated. She could get the boys that she wanted. I remembered that she had a string of guys that she dated during high school. It was rare for her to have a listing relationship. I guess she was putting out her feelers for the right one.

Mei frowned back in present day.

"Dad's going to be cool with it," she said. "But that old cow…" Mei squished up her face and narrowed her eyes.

"'How could someone so fat like you get a boyfriend?'" she asked, imitating her mother. She went normal and frowned.

"Pisses me off,," she muttered. Longwei patted her hand.

"It's okay," he whispered. Mei shook her head.

"That woman is a nightmare, baby," she said. "You have no idea."

"I could talk to her for you," I spoke up. Mei shook her head.

"You know that won't work," she said. "She'll listen to you and chuck all of that out the window." I thought about that for a moment before I nodded.

"True," I said. "True." Mei perked up.

"But first, I had you to meet him," she said.

"You don't need my permission to date him," I said. Mei put her arm around his shoulders.

"I know," she said. "I still wanted to."

"I'm flattered," was all that I could say. Mei broke into a huge grin.

"Do you mind if I sit and prepare myself to introduce my honey dad and that woman?" she asked. I smiled and shrugged.

"No, not at all," I said.

"Thank you," she said. We just sat there for the rest of the visit.

* * *

I was alone again after Mei and Longwei left. But that didn't last long.

My phone rang again.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Ju? Is Yao in?" I heard a woman ask. "I can't seem to reach him on his phone." A confused look came over my face.

"Vietnam?" I asked. "Yao isn't home right now. Are you okay? Is there something wrong?" There was a pause on the other line.

"Well…" she mumbled.

"It's okay, you can tell me," I said. There came another pause over the other line.

"Take your time if you have to," I added. Vietnam took a deep breath over the other line.

"It's Im Yong," she said. "Something seems to be wrong with him."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I really should wait until Yao gets back," Vietnam said in a whisper.

"It's fine," I insisted. "Let me help you." There came another pause.

"Do you want to come over and talk?" I asked. "I can make you some tea." Vietnam hesitated at first.

"I would feel better if I was talking to Yao about this," she said. "I don't mean any offense by that." I shook my head.

"No, it's fine," I insisted. "Tell you what, I don't know when he's coming back. But you can come by and wait with in the house. Besides, I don't think you've been by to see the baby yet."

"Well, I could stop by and look at Jing for a bit," Vietnam finally said.

"Great, I will see you in a few," I said. "Goodbye." I hung just as Jing started crying.

"Coming dear," I said. I shoved my phone into my pocket and made my way up the stairs.


	8. Bishop Wood

Match Eight: Bishop Wood:

Alfred enjoyed his little daughter. He vowed to be a good father. This worried Lydia. She would just have to suck it up and tell him. If they were going to be a family, the truth would have to come out. She watched him play with Baby Florence in the living room.

"Hey Alfred," she said. The American man played with the baby's toes.

"Uh-hm?" he asked. Lydia leaned forward on the couch.

"There's something I have to tell you," she said. "About Baby Florence."

"What about her?" he asked. The young woman shifted into place. She tried to come up with the right way to say it. He still had to know the truth.

"You know that Florence was a tree spirit, right?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah," Alfred said.

"Well… She's a half-breed," the girl said. "Little Florence is."

"Uh-huh."

Lydia frowned. "Do you understand what that means?"

"Yeah, yeah." Alfred pretended to eat the baby's toes. "I'm going to eat your toes. I'm going to eat your toes." The girl sighed.

"Don't you get it?" she asked. "She could die young!" Alfred froze.

"I know that," he said in a low voice.

"What?" Lydia asked. The American man turned his head. He pulled Baby Florence to his chest.

"I heard you talking to the doctor that other time," he said. A confused and stunned look came over her face.

"Then… why didn't you-?" she asked.

"I say anything?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Lydia said, nodding. The American man shrugged.

"I don't know," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said again. "I just want to enjoy her while I still can." Alfred bounced the little girl in his arms. Lydia dropped her shoulders.

"You really did love my sister, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alfred said. He caressed his daughter on her cheek.

* * *

Her niece wasn't her only worry.

Lydia couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about her trip to find her birth mother. He got arrested in Colorado. But she didn't want to deal with it. When she got home, Lydia just wanted to disappear into the floor. She didn't want Florence to see her like that.

Lydia did her best to keep it together. But lately, that's been crumbling around her.

-Monday Morning-

Time for another therapy session.

Lydia slipped away at ten in the morning. Alfred and Baby Florence were going to be fine for thirty minutes. He has proved to be a capable dad. But she wasn't ready to tell him everything. They were not that close. And besides…

Lydia looked out the bus window. She wasn't ready to tell anyone else anyway. The young woman drew her knees to her chest. It already hurt to talk about it to a stranger. But this had to be done in order for her to be free.

Lydia lifted up her chin. She felt like she was about to cry again.

_I want to go home._

Good thing there weren't many people on the bus today. Only an old man and a middle-aged Hispanic woman who looked half-asleep this morning. (She was probably coming home from work.)

The bus pulled up into the city. Lydia kept her head down as she walked off the bus. She made her way to the psychiatrist's office. Her hand touched the glass. There weren't many people sitting in the waiting room. It could be so easy to turn around and go home.

Lydia slowly shook her head.

No. This had to end. If this was the way to do, so be it.

She pushed open the door and went inside. Lydia made her way to the receptionist's desk. That woman looked up from her paperwork.

"Good morning," she said. Lydia looked down at the paper on the desk.

"I'm here for my appointment," she mumbled. The receptionist didn't say a word. She shoved a clipboard towards her.

"Check to see if the information is correct," she said. Lydia read over the paperwork.

"My sister is dead," she said. "Do I put her boyfriend down at a contact?"

"Yes," the receptionist said.

"Okay," the young woman said. Lydia wrote down Alfred's name and number for the emergency form. She didn't know why she did that. They weren't that close. But she didn't have anyone else now. Once everything was done, she handed back the form.

"Please take a seat," the receptionist said. Lydia walked over to the chairs near the wall and sat down. She pulled out her phone. Alfred would probably still in bed right now. Lydia looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She placed her hand to her stomach. The only other person in the waiting room was a woman in her fifties. She trembled as she tugged at her sleeves. She looked like she needed to sleep. They didn't make eye contact.

"Lydia Foxwell," a lady called out. The young woman lifted her head. A secretary stood in the doorway with her chart. Lydia stood up and walked over to her.

"Good morning," the secretary said. The young woman bowed her head as she followed behind. The secretary closed the door behind her.

* * *

"How are you this morning, Lydia?"

"Tired. I just want to go home."

"You can as soon as we finish this session."

Lydia groaned. "Fine." The therapist took more notes. Lydia shifted in her seat.

"I'm an aunt now."

"Oh, congratulations!"

"My sister had a baby before she died. It's a girl and her name is Florence."

"After your sister?"

"He named her."

"How does all of this make you feel?"

"Okay, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

Lydia shook her head. "He really does care about Little Florence."

"But?"

She dropped her shoulders. "I still don't trust him. Or rather I _didn't_ trust him."

"And what changed?"

"He knows the risks and what Little Florence is. And he really does care about her."

"Have you tell him yet?"

Lydia placed her hand on her stomach. "I can't."

"You have to make a decision."

"I know."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know!"

"What that man did to you is not your fault."

"I know." Lydia's eyes welled up with tears. The therapist gave her a tissue. The young woman took it and wiped her eyes.

"You know what you can't keep this a secret for long. Whatever you decide, you have to tell Alfred the truth. He has to know what happened to you in Colorado."

"But…"

The therapist reached out and took her by the hand. Lydia gave her a desperate look. For once, the older woman gave her a little smile.

"Listen to me. You are going to need all of the support you can get. If you can trust Alfred with your sister and your niece, why not trust him with you?"

"But I don't know how to tell him."

"Do you want me to come with you for support?"

Lydia didn't answer. She knew that she was right. But still…


	9. Okon Gitsune

Match Nine: Okon Gitsune:

Sena stared at her phone. There was another therapist dead because of her husband's problems. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Why do they all keep dying?" Sena asked aloud. She looked over at the bedroom door. Calling another therapist wouldn't do. Most of them refused to even see Kiku anymore. That phone call made it very clear. Sena laid her head on the couch and shook her head.

"Now what?" she asked. Already, Okinawa didn't let the answer to that. Bringing him home for a short break seemed to be like a good idea at the time. The first two nights were quiet. He didn't sleep or eat. Kiku just stayed in his room. Sena stayed by his side but didn't interact with him. She would check on him every hour on the hour. The doctors were not sure if this was a good idea.

"He needs to stay here with us," the head psychiatrist said.

"I know," Sena said. He didn't argue with her. Kiku would only be checked out for three days. She was to call if things got worse. Sena gave them the head psychiatrist's word. But now…

She turned back to the door. Her heart sank knowing that she couldn't help him.

"Kiku…" the woman murmured. "What's happening to you?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Kiku stared out the window. He looked so worn down now. The skin on his hands turned black and started oozing puss. Same with his feet. He looked ready to vomit. His eyes looked so dead. Was he crying again? He didn't know anymore.

A hand gently patted him on the head. Her scent made his nose burn and itch. He could feel her smile.

"It's only a matter of time."

Her honey-coated voice sounded like poison. He shivered at her words. The Japanese man looked so pale. He started mumbling to himself and biting his hand.

"Please leave me alone. Please leave me alone."

She pulled him close to her body. Her nails scraped across his chest. She hummed to herself before speaking. "I can't do that. We still have to become one."

His body froze. "No… No!" Cold sweat broke out all over his body. His vision became blurry.

"Baby?" Sena sked. Kiku turned his head when he heard the doorknob turning.

"Baby?" his wife asked again. "I can't get in. Baby! Baby!" Kiku watched with wide eyes. He wanted to scream at her to stop and not come in. The man tried to scream but no sound came out. Kiku put his hand to his throat. She smirked as she shook her head. A tear rolled down his cheek.

_No…_

"Oh yes." Her laughter made his ears burn.

* * *

Sena turned the knob faster. She pounded on the door with all of her might.

"Baby! Baby! Let me in! Are you okay in there?" she asked. "Baby! Baby!" The door would not give. Sena's heart pounded against her chest.

_I will not let you in!_

Sena's eyes widened. She slowly turned her head. The only thing she got to see were those glowing red eyes.

_Kiku is mine! All of him!_

She opened her mouth wide. Sena could only see endless red behind sharp fangs. She shut her eyes and covered her ears. A violent scream ripped through her head.

"Get out of my head, you bitch!" Sena shouted. She turned around, swinging her fist around. Okinawa only made contact with empty air. She tried to keep her balance as she stumbled over.

Suddenly, it all stopped.

Sena opened her eyes and looked around. "Huh?" She turned back to the door and knocked.

"Baby? Are you still in there?" she asked. "Baby?" Sena turned the doorknob. To her surprise, the door opened with ease. She poked her head inside. Kiku sat huddled on the floor. His wife ran over to him.

"Kiku! Baby!" she said. Sena pulled him in close to her chest. She could feel him trembling in her arms.

* * *

All of Kiku's files were destroyed at the psychology center. They couldn't take the risk anymore. Three therapists had already died because of him. They hoped cutting him off would stop the carnage. They couldn't have been so wrong.

Three incidents happened that seemed unrelated to each other on the surface.

On a Monday someone broke into the building. Nothing was stolen to their surprise. But the head of the psychology center found a large box on his desk. Instinct told him to call the police. Not a bomb, good. But inside were many videotapes. All unlabeled. The police thought it was a prank in a way. The staff on the other hand wasn't so convinced. Security was beefed up that week. The box of tapes wound up in the trash.

On a Friday evening, the security guard kept hearing footsteps around the building. There wasn't supposed to anyone in the building. Everyone went home for the evening. In fact, the last therapist and the janitor wished him good night. The security guard would be alone. For the past three nights, nothing happened. The security guard thought that he was going to have another standard night.

Around midnight, he heard footsteps race across the floor. The security guard turned with his flashlight.

"Hello?" he asked. "Who's there?" No answer. His eyes shifted over to his left. The security guard began to circle around on his block. He tried not to think the worst.

"This is dumb," he muttered to himself. "There's no one here." Somehow, the young man didn't sound so convinced or something. Then he heard the footsteps running behind him. The security guard turned around. Nothing again. He frowned.

"Okay, guys!" he shouted. "If this is a prank, this isn't funny! Come out here now!" Silence. The security guard started to get frustrated.

"Come on now!" he shouted. This time, there was the giggling of a child. The security guard jumped.

"What the-?!" he shouted. Something grabbed him by the wrist. Against his better judgment, the security guard looked down. The ghostly little girl opened her mouth and let out a catlike scream. Another pair of hands grabbed his other arm. He turned his head. The blackened ghost girl let off her death rattle.

In the morning, the psychology center staff found a trail of blood leading down the hall to the emergency exit.

On a Sunday, the head of the center stopped by to pick up some files from his office. No one was inside. Not even the security guard. The therapist shivered when he touched the glass. Instinct told him to run. But he needed to get the files for work from home. He took a breath and unlocked the door.

"I'm coming in," the therapist whispered. He pushed open the door and went inside. The building was quiet, too quiet. The head of the center slowly walked inside. He looked around with each step. The therapist held his breath. He decided to call the police if he saw anything amiss. He hoped that it wouldn't come to this.

_Just get in, take the files, and leave._ The therapist took another breath. Right…

He made it to his office without any problems. He had to make this quick. The therapist unlocked his door and slowly opened it. Right off the bat, he peeked inside and chills hit his body. He shut his eyes and dove into his office. A confused look came over his face.

A black cat sat on his desk. Something about the creature's eyes made the therapist go ashen. Every inch of his body screamed, "Run away!" The cat stared at him before meowing. However, that wasn't the only thing that the therapist noticed.

He happened to look down and see the box of tapes that was thrown out earlier that week. The poor therapist ended up turning around and running away.

* * *

Later that evening, Sena picked up the phone.

"Hello," she said. "Yes. I'm afraid he's getting worse."


	10. Puppet

Match Ten: Puppet:

Arthur isn't in control. Not even of his own mind and body. This week has been a weird one for him.

-Monday-

Arthur walked up to Im Yong's front door and knocked. He shifted from side to side. The Englishman smiled as the door opened.

"Good morning, chap!" he said. The Korean boy blinked at him.

"Uh… good morning?" he asked. Everything about the Englishman looked unnerving. He moved like he was on strings. His manner of speech sounded robotic. Even that grin on his face looked creepy.

"And how are you today?" Arthur asked.

"Fine? Are you feeling okay?" Im Yong asked.

"Why yes!" the Englishman said. "Why wouldn't I be?" The Korean boy shook his head.

"Never mind," he said. He couldn't help but feel like this was a TV prank show. The boy resisted the urge to look around for cameras.

Then England had to come in with a gut punch.

"How is your sister doing?" he asked. Im Yong froze for a moment.

"Fine," he mumbled. He didn't make eye contact once.

"I see," Arthur said. "She misses you; you know?"

"Yeah…"

"You really should talk to her."

Im Yong looked up at him. Why was he saying this? Who took him about his problems with his twin? The Korean boy took a step backwards.

"You are creeping me out," he said. Im Yong stepped back into his house. He tried to close the door but Arthur grabbed it without blinking.

"What are you doing?" Im Yong asked.

"Just talk to her, lad," Arthur insisted. "She misses you so much." The Korean man looked alarmed.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked.

"Please?" Arthur asked. Im Yong clinched his teeth as he tried to close the door.

"Okay, I will talk to her," he said. "Please go away." Arthur just let go of the door and it shut in the Korean boy's face. Im Yong opened the door and looked outside.

Nothing.

The Englishman was gone. Im Yong didn't even hear him leave.

* * *

-Tuesday-

The neighbors saw it too. An old lady next door was taking out her garbage. She happened to look up and see the English man outside on a rare occasion.

"Arthur?" she asked. He turned as if his head was on strings.

"Hello, Mrs. Welles!" Arthur said with a huge grin. "How are you today?"

"Fine," she said. "And you?"

"Right as rain!" the young man said. He did a little hop as he spoke. The old lady had an odd look on her face. Why was he moving around so much?

"Are you okay, dear?" the old lady asked.

"Of course!" the English man said. His grin looked so painful. A thin trail of blood ran down his tear duct. The old lady kind of nodded.

"Right… I haven't seen you around lately," she said. "Has everything been going well? Did something happen?"

"No, no," Arthur said. "Everything is fine. I'm fine." He shifted around in place. The old lady put her trash in the bin.

"It's nice seeing you," she said. "I'll see you around."

"Okay, bye," her neighbor said. He turned and walked back to his flat. Arthur walked as if he had stick legs like a puppet.

* * *

-Wednesday-

Hecate and her sisters gathered in the living room.

"How do you guys keep messing this up?" she asked.

"Look we're trying!" Sabine said. "The ingredients around here crap this time of year!" She had her arms folded across her chest, frowning. The older sister threw back her head and groaned.

"You're having people asking questions," she pointed out. "We can't afford to have attention drawn to us."

"Well excuse you!" Tessa snapped. "You try operating the puppet while dealing with the archangels!"

"Excuses, excuses," the older sister said. "You have got to do better than that!" The nightcomers glared at her.

"We're not as strong as you," Sabine said.

"That's no excuse," Hecate said. "You are just as strong as our dear sister Lucy was." The other nightcomers looked at her with cold looks. Their sister just shrugged. Lucy would've know how to manage both Arthur and the archangels.

Oh well.

"Girls, what are you doing?" Allison asked from down the hall. The nightcomers looked up.

"Nothing," they all said.

"Then get back to work!" their mother shouted. "We don't have any time to waste!"

"Yes, mother!" the girls all shouted. Everyone scattered back to their tasks. Hecate sneered to herself. Sure, she would play the good daughter for now.

But soon, she would have her edge in this game. It would only be a matter of time.

Meanwhile, Arthur sat in his chair like the mindless doll he had become

* * *

-Thursday-

The spell need tightening up. Sabine and Tessa got right to work. Where did they go wrong? The nightcomers looked over their spells. They thought everything was going right. Sabine looked at her spell book.

"I told you not to cheap on the ingredients!" Tessa hissed. "We had the money to pay for that shit." Sabine rolled her eyes.

"We didn't have the time," she said. "Do you know how long it takes to hunt that shite down?"

"There is the internet, you know?" Tessa said back.

"And how do you know you're not getting ripped off there?"

"Will you just shut up and help me get this over with? I don't want to hear Hecate's mouth anymore about this. She can be such a cunt."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with."

The girls looked down at the spell. Tessa ran her finger down the list.

"Cinnamon?" she asked.

"Check," Sabine said.

"The real stuff? Like the actual bark."

"Seriously?"

"You have to do this right!"

Sabine rolled her eyes as she groaned. "Why do you have a stick shoved so far up your ass?"

Tessa closed up the spell book. "Get a pen. Make a list. We are going shopping."

"Online?" Sabine asked.

"In the store," Tessa said. Her sister stuck out her tongue.

"Fine," she said. She walked down the hall to the back rooms. Tessa sat back, smirking. While she was on her own, the nightcomer began to plot her own plans for the game. And it would start with Michael.

By sundown, the nightcomers came back with bags on ingredients in hand. This time, they managed to get it right. The spell was going to work properly.

Meanwhile, Arthur still sat in his chair like the mindless doll he had become. He didn't move when a fly buzzed by his eyes.

* * *

-Friday-

Francis came by Arthur's apartment and knocked on the door. This time, it was his turn to check on the Englishman. First Japan. Then England. And now Italy started acting weird. The countries wanted some hint of normalcy at this point.

He looked up when the door opened. Arthur saw him and broke into a huge smile.

"Francis! Old friend! How have you been?" he asked. The French man blinked at him.

"Good… Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"Of course I am!" Arthur was quick to say. "Why wouldn't I be?" His grin looked so painful. A small trail of blood ran down his tear duct. Francis tried to pretend not see what was wrong in front of him.

"We haven't seen you around lately," he said. "Have you been sick or anything?" The French man reached out to touch his forehead. Arthur took a step back.

"No, nothing like that!" he insisted. "Is there something you needed?" Francis slowly shook his head.

"No…" he said. The French man resisted the urge to turn around and run.

"Okay," Arthur said. "I have to go now. Have a nice day. Goodbye." He turned and walked back into his apartment. Francis stood there as the door called in his face. His stomach dropped.

"Arthur…" he said in a soft voice.

* * *

-Francis-

That's not him. It's someone pretending to him. I can't prove it. I don't know what the end game is. Something isn't right. I can't put my finger on it. His eyes. He looked like he was in so much pain. Arthur wanted to scream at me. When he bled from his eyes, I could see him crying for help.

But he can't.

He's not in control. I don't know how to help him. I don't know how to save him. I'm amazed that he's been hanging on for so long. If this keeps up, Arthur could disappear.

However, that isn't the only thing that scares me.

The parks and forests have been silent in my country. I can't describe but it looks like a hint of what's coming for us all. And frankly, I don't think that any of us is going to survive.


	11. Valya

Match Eleven: Valya:

Her debut in Japan is set for autumn. Until then, she needs some tightening up.

It didn't matter to Ivan.

Still, something didn't sit well with him. At home, he sat in his office.

"Wang Ja," the Russian man spoke up. His butler raised his eyebrow.

"Hm?" he asked.

"What would happen if your siblings would reunite?" Ivan asked.

"I don't really know," the Hong Kong butler said.

"Why is that?" his boss asked. Wang Ja shrugged and shook his head. The look on his face said that he didn't enjoy the Russian man digging into his family life. Ivan waved him off.

"Never mind," he said. "You can go." Wang Ja turned and walked out of the room. Ivan watched him leave with a dull look on his face. His boss wanted the two Koreas to reunite. The Russian man knew this wasn't going to work. Just as predicted, they wouldn't listen to him.

He was used to that by now.

But this issue still nagged at him.

Ivan picked up his phone.

"Hello?" Yao asked.

"Yao, it's me," the Russian man said. "How have you been?" There was another pause on the other line.

"Fine… why?" the man asked.

"How is your family?"

"Ju and Jing are fine. What is this about? What do you want?"

Ivan paused as his face became grim. "How is Im Yong doing?" There came another pause on the line.

"Why?" Yao asked in a whisper.

"Your brother is in trouble," Ivan said.

"What do you mean?" the Chinese man asked.

"His twin sister."

"Oh…"

"Have you heard from Mi-Soon?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?" Yao asked at last. "Why are you concerned with my family? You are creeping me out."

"I can't tell you much right now," Ivan said. "There is only one thing I can tell you."

"What?" Yao asked.

"A divided country will reunite," the Russian man said. He hung up before Yao had a chance to talk. He did his part to warn his frenemy. Just hoped that he would take it seriously.

* * *

Meanwhile, progress was going great.

Valya could now talk like a normal human. Took about three days to do it. No more low growling.

"So how are you today?" Alisa asked this morning. Valya lifted her head.

"Good," she said.

"That's good," the scientist said. She patted the siren on the head. Valya smiled at the affection. Alisa took down more notes. The siren tiled her head. Ivan watched from outside the cell. He had to admit that she looked much prettier from when he nearly hit her with his car when they first met. What was the endgame with her though?

"I feel hungry," Valya said. Alisa looked up.

"Hm?" she asked.

"I am hungry," the siren repeated.

"We'll get you something to eat in a second," the scientist said. Alisa turned to Ivan and signaled him to act. The Russian man turned and walked down the hall.

"Can you stand up for me?" Alisa asked.

"Why?" Valya asked. The scientist looked up; eyebrow raised. This was new.

"I need to see if you can use your legs without any problems," Alisa explained. "Your communication still get better each day. Don't you want to be able to move as good too?" Valya took a moment to think about that.

"You want me to move?" she asked.

"Yes," the scientist said. "Can you stand up for me?" Valya tried to push herself to her feet. She wobbled at first.

"Whoa," Alisa said. "Don't fall over on me!" She grabbed the other woman's arm. Valya caught her balance. She looked at the scientist.

"Take your time," Alisa said. Valya slowly helped herself up. It took a few minutes for her stand up straight.

"Let me look at your legs," Alisa said to the towering creature. She lifted up her tattered black skirt. The scientist made a face. The skinny pale calves were covered in deep purple splotches. The veins looked so black.

"Ooo. Does it hurt when I do this?" she asked. Alisa started to poke the other woman in the right leg. Valya didn't make a sound. The scientist looked up at her. The siren didn't have any reaction on her face. Alisa stood up before her.

"You can sit down if you want," she said. Alisa took out her small radio.

"Could you come down here with the tray please?" she asked. "There's something that we need to test right now." Valya tilted her head, silent. Alisa's conversation over the radio didn't last long.

"We will conduct another test," she said. "For now, you rest and eat." By that time, Ivan came with a large tray of red raw meat. He pressed the buzzer at the door.

"Permission to come inside," Ivan said. Alisa walked over to her side of the door and hit her buzzer.

"You may come in," she said. Ivan punched in the code on his side. The doors slid open. The Russian man rolled the tray into the room. He assisted Alisa in feeding Valya.

"Here you are!" she said. "Time to eat." The siren rushed forward and dug in. Alisa turned to Ivan as she walked out of the room.

"We need to talk. Follow me to the roof."

Ivan turned and followed behind without saying a word. Valya was left to eat up all of the meat.


	12. Flowers and the Ocean

Match Twelve: Flowers and the Ocean:

-Beijing, China, 1991-

Chi Ju was out of his element. He hadn't been on mainland China in months. In fact, he looked so tense. His suit felt like it was squeezing him. Sweat covered his face. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

A hand rested on his shoulder. Chi Ju whipped his head around. His new bride, Wan, looked up at him.

"It's okay," she whispered. He didn't speak at first. Then he slowly nodded.

"Right, right," he said. Chi Ju cleared his throat. Wan gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You're going to do great," she said.

"Thank you," he said. He bowed his head. A few weeks ago, he applied for a job in Beijing. Nothing really special. Chi Ju needed the money for his new family. He would have to move away from the island. Wan didn't mind that. She was happy, in fact.

"I had always wanted to see Beijing in person!" Wan said. She happily hugged her new husband. Chi Ju could only sigh and smile.

They had just gotten married three weeks ago. He had planned to leave Shanghai forever. The man would enjoy his new island life. His new bride saw to that otherwise.

"I always wanted to go to the mainland," she said. Chi Ju gave her a strange look.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked. Wan whirled around.

"I have always wanted to live in the city," she said. Chi Ju frowned. His beloved wife only had a romanticized version of the city. He just wanted to get away.

And now, here he was. Back again.

Someone tugged him on the arm. Chi Ju came back to earth. Wan looked up at him with her head cocked to the side.

"Don't you have to go?" she asked. "Liao xiansheng is expecting us."

"Oh, yeah, yeah!" he was quick to say. "Of course." The couple left the harbor and their way towards the road.

* * *

The main house was massive. Chi Ju's jaw dropped.

"Whoa!" he said. Wan clapped her hands together with stars in her eyes.

"I love it!" she shouted. Chi Ju wanted to turn around and run. Wan gripped his shoulder. He turned his head. The look on her face told him that she was not going to let him back out of this. The man forced himself to smile.

"Okay," he said. Chi Ju walked up to front door.

"Good luck," Wan whispered at his back. He nervously laughed to himself. Oh buddy…

Chi Ju knocked on the door. He turned to see his new bride watching him. Was she really going to stand there the whole time? This felt too weird. He turned his head when the door opened. Another man dressed in a black and gold traditional robes stood in the doorway. Staring at this man made Chi Ju feel so small.

"Uh… are you Liao xiansheng?" he asked.

"Yes," Khai said. "And you are?"

"C-C-C-Chi Ju," Chi Ju said. "Qin Chi Ju. It's nice to meet you." The men didn't speak. Chi Ju tried to act normal. He shifted a little in place.

"Who is that behind you?" Khai asked. Chi Ju turned around and looked. Wan stood, watching intently.

"Oh that's my wife, Wan," he said. "We just got married three weeks ago."

"I see," Khai said. "Come inside."

"Thank you, Liao xiansheng," Chi Ju said, bowing. He followed the clan leader into the house. Khai closed the door behind him. Wan walked up just as it closed.

* * *

They met in Khai's office.

"Please take a seat," Khai said, holding his hand out to the chair in front of the desk. Chi Ju sat down in silence.

"Now why do you want to work for me?" Khai asked without missing a beat. Chi Ju sat up straighter.

"I want to provide for my wife," he said.

"But why here?"

"My wife has never been to the city. She always wanted to live in Beijing. This was the first job I spotted in the paper."

Khai raised an eyebrow at him. "But what do _you_ want?"

Chi Ju stared at him blankly. "What do _I_ want?"

"Yes."

"I want to make my wife happy."

"What do you love about her?"

"I'm sorry but what does this have to do with the job?"

"I'm just curious. What do you love about your wife?"

Chi Ju took a moment to think about the question. "Well…" He paused and looked at his potential boss. The man shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't really explain it," Chi Ju admitted. "Wan has this weird charm around her. She's very pushy. And she loves expensive things. I can understand why the way she is." Khai only listened in silence. Chi Ju gulped.

"We met when my family and I were on vacation," he said. "She seems to have an idea in her head that I was rich." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.

"She just latched onto me ever since," he said. "I don't think I'm making this any clearer than that." Khai leaned back as he listened. Chi Ju nervously laughed.

"I was going to live in her hometown after we got married," he added.

"But she wanted to come here instead?" the clan leader asked. Chi Ju nodded once. Both men sat in silence. Chi Ju gulped again. _Oh no. I'm going to lose this job, aren't I?_

Khai pulled out the other man's folder. He opened it and looked inside.

"Hm," the clan leader said. "You have a strong work ethic. First job at sixteen too, huh?"

"Yes, Liao xiansheng," Chi Ju said. Khai put up his hand.

"Please," he said. "Call me Khai."

"Okay," the other man said. "Yes, Khai."

"Shanghai native, I see."

"Yes."

"Are you willing to live on the property?"

Chi Ju gave him an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"I have unused houses on the property. If I hire you, you will have to move into the house with your wife. Are you willing to do that?"

The other man sat up straight. "Yes!"

Khai closed up his folder. "Why don't you take a walk around the city for the day? I will talk to you when I make decision."

Chi Ju frowned. "What does that mean?" Khai rested his hand on his.

"I will talk to you when I make my decision," he said again. Khai stood up. Chi Ju looked worried as he stood up as well.

"It was nice to meet you," the clan leader said.

"Same to you too," Chi Ju said. The men bowed.

"Where can I get in touch with you?" Khai asked.

"Wan and I are staying in the Hilton," Chi Ju said. "We're in room 228."

"I will give you a call," the clan leader said. The men bowed again and the soon-to-be subordinate walked out of the office.

* * *

Wan stood around waiting when she heard the door open. Chi Ju stepped outside. His wife hurried over to him.

"Well?" she asked. "Did you get it?" Chi Ju took a deep breath.

"He will call me back," he said. His wife gave him a confused look.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"He'll call us," Chi Ju said. He took her by the arm and hauled her away before she could ask any more questions. Wan looked so confused. The whole time, her husband had a worried look on his face.

Meanwhile, Khai looked Chi Ju's file again and smiled. This one was going to be fine.


	13. Jaegyeolhab

Match Thirteen: Jaegyeolhab:

Im Yong walked up to Mi-Soon's front door. His stomach turned. The young man reached out to the door but paused. If he did this, he couldn't turn back. His family wasn't going to approve of this. But if they only knew what he read…

Im Yong knocked on the door. He could still turn around and go back home. But then his sister would call him. She'd ask if that was him at her door. He wouldn't even get the chance to deny it either.

Im Yong's attention came back to earth when the door opened. Mi-Soon stood looking at him. Her face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree.

"Brother!" she said. "I knew you would come!" Mi-Soon leapt forward and threw her arms around her twin's neck. Im Yong stood there in discomfort. He nervously chuckled to himself.

"How are you doing?" he asked. His sister looked him in the eye.

"Have you come here for…?" she began to ask. Her brother sighed. Im Yong nodded once. Mi-Soon took him by the hands.

"Come with me," she whispered. He didn't protest as she dragged him into her house. Mi-Soon closed the door behind them.

* * *

They sat in the living room. Im Yong looked down at his feet. Mi-Soon sat down next to him on the couch.

"Have you made up your mind?" she asked. He wouldn't look up at her. The young man nodded once.

"So… what's it going to be?" Mi-Soon asked. He clenched his fists in his lap.

"I need to know something first," Im Yong said.

"What?" she asked. He lifted his head.

"What will happen to me if I were to join you?" he asked.

"We will protect you," Mi-Soon said.

"No, what will really happen to me?" Im Yong asked. "Will I be forced into the army too? Will I have to give up my friends? What about school? Have much of my life am I going to have to give up?" His sister gently put her hands on his. She gave him a calm smile.

"I will keep you safe," Mi-Soon said. "You won't have to work. I will take care of you. I won't let you end up working in factories."

"But what about the army?" Im Yong asked.

"You might not have to join. They aren't recruiting right now. I think you're safe for now."

"For now?"

Mi-Soon waved him off. "Don't worry about that."

"What about school? I don't want to change schools in the middle of the year. Will I get to see my friends again? Which boss will be in control?"

"We are still trying to work out which boss will be in control." She noticed the uneasy look on Im Yong's face as he drew back his hands.

"What I am trying to say is we are willing to work through everything if you agree to come home," Mi-Soon said. She held up her hand when her twin tried to speak.

"You will still be able to go to your school to finish out the year," she said. "And you will still get to see your friends?" Im Yong drew his mouth closed at first.

"Just like that?" he asked. His sister nodded once. The twins didn't speak at first. Mi-Soon took his hands again.

"What is it going to be?" she asked. Im Yong pressed his lips together.

"How does this work?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" his twin sister asked.

"If I agree to go with you, how it work?" South Korea asked. "Is there a ceremony or ritual to do? Do I have to pay for something with money? Is there paperwork involved?"

"No," she said. Im Yong gave her a confused look.

"No," she repeated. "There is a registration. Other than that, you just have to agree to do this." Mi-Soon made it sound so easy. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…

"And I don't really have to give up anything?" Im Yong asked. He sounded so much like a little child when he asked. Mi-Soon gave him a calm smile as she pressed her forehead against his.

"No," she said.

"Not even my freedom?" he asked.

"Not even that," his sister said. Her words. They just sounded so soothing almost like their mother when they were little children. Im Yong slowly lowered his eyes.

"So what will it be?" Mi-Soon asked. "Are you going to come home or not?" Im Yong pressed his lips together and kept his eyes low.

* * *

Outside, Tessa stood in front of Mi-Soon house in the invisible cloak of darkness. She held the charm of her silver pendant to her chest. A cruel smirk came across her face.

"A divided country will reunite," Tessa said to herself. Then she disappeared to parts unknown. Only five more seals to be broken before they could catch up to Tandeki in the game.


	14. 3:00 a.m., Invasion, and Sleepless Worry

Match Fourteen: 3:00 a.m., Invasion, and Sleepless Worry:

-Ju-

I can't sleep. It's not because of the baby. Jing sleeps really well at night. No, there's something else I am worried about. I looked up at my sleeping child in his basinet. I have taken to put him down there because I can't move the crib out into my room. Or rather, Yao doesn't want me to.

"Jing's going to be fine in his room," my husband insisted. "I had new a security system installed around the house, remember?" Somehow, that did little to ease me. I had fears that that witch woman could still get in my house.

I looked at the clock at my back. Three in the morning? I should be asleep by now. But if I do, I won't be able to keep an eye on my son. I shook my head to myself. I really need to sleep. Why can't I stop worrying like this.

My eyes turned back to my son's chest. He looked so precious. I gently ran my finger on his little forehead. I kissed the skin.

"Good night, sweetie," I whispered. I stared at the clock again. Today had been kind of dull. I had gotten back into work. Yao, Hen-to, and Fei had been keeping the clan's finances stable and afloat. Some of the clients were happy to see me again. (Guess they got sick of talking to mean all the time. It's kind of strange to me in a way. Most of the old partners were old men anyway. Kind of makes me glad in a way.) After morning business, Yao and I had lunch in the den. I wanted to eat outside but it was too cold. Oh well, maybe next weekend. My husband turned to me.

"It's good to see you working again," he said.

"Uh-huh," I said, shoving a dumpling in my mouth. He eyed me with a serious look on his face.

"How have you been doing?" Yao asked. "Tell me honestly." I glared up at him as I swallowed my food.

"I'm doing better," I said. "I am still trying to sleep. No, I do not want any remedies to help me either."

"Alright," he said. I gave him a little smile.

"That's sweet of you to ask about my well-being," I said. Yao chuckled.

"I have to care about you," he said. "I'm your husband." I smiled and took another bite of my food. I rested my head on his lap.

"I love you," I said. Yao stroked my hair.

"I love you too, dear," he said. The baby started to cry. I set down my bowl.

"I've got it," I said. I pushed myself to my feet and walked across the den to tend to my child. I pulled Jing into my arms.

"Shhh. Shhh," I whispered. "I'm here. Don't worry. Don't. worry." Jing quieted down after I got him so food and changed his diaper. I returned to the couch and finished up lunch.

"He's good?" Yao asked.

"Yeah," I said. The rest of the evening was rather quiet. I got caught up on the work, tended to Jing, had dinner, watched some TV, and went to bed.

Which leads me back to my current situation.

I lay curled up on the cot in the den with Jing by my side. I've always loved the big window near the back door. I got a view of the courtyard and Mei's and Kee's houses. The quiet should've helped me sleep that night. It did quite the opposite. What was the point of sleeping anymore?

I got up and went to the bathroom.

When I got back to the den, I had the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. I slowly poked my head around the corner.

A figure was standing over my son's basinet. From what I could see it was the back of a woman. My mind flashed back to times Allison was in my house. Could I creep down to the kitchen and get a knife? My phone was upstairs. There were phones in the kitchen and den as well. But could I reach either one without being seen?

"There's no need to do that," a voice said in the den. My heart froze in my chest. I slowly turned my head. The woman still stood with her back turned to me. I gulped.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound tough. "What are you doing to my child?"

"Your child?" the woman asked.

"Yes! That is my son!" I shouted. The woman chuckled to herself. I resisted the urge to turn and run. This woman slowly turned her head. It wasn't Allison but I was still in panic.

"Who are you?" I asked. The woman chuckled again.

"Call me, Hecate," she said. "A pleasure to meet you." I glared at her.

"What do you want with my son?" I asked. "Why are you here?" Hecate smiled.

"You have a cute baby," she said. I gritted my teeth.

"Get out of my house," I hissed. Why was I still trying to keep my voice down? This was my house. This bitch was standing over my son uninvited. How did she even get past our security system?

"If you lay a hand on my baby I will kill you," I said. My voice was rising. Hecate put up her hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said. "We don't have to get violent here! I just wanted to see the baby. I don't know why my mum is so interested in this little brat anyway." I glared at her.

"Mother?" I asked. "Don't tell me…" She smiled and bowed her head.

"That's right!" Hecate said in a sing-songy voice. "My name is Hecate Mayfair, oldest daughter of Allison Mayfair. Pleased to meet you—again." I felt my face turning red.

"Get out of my house!" I shouted. "Get out or I will call the police!" Hecate put up her hands.

"Fine," she said. "No need to be violent. I'll leave." Hecate walked over to the glass back door. Her fingertips touched the glass before turning her head.

"You have a cute baby, though," she said. Then Hecate had disappeared. I sank down to my knees. I found my body shaking as I panted. I wasn't afraid.

I was pissed!

Now her family was harassing my baby? No. I will not take this shit anymore. I pushed myself to my feet and held my child in my arms.

I didn't go back to sleep for the rest of the night.


	15. Family Meeting

Match Fifteen: Family Meeting:

The next morning, Yao wandered down to the den. When he woke up this morning, Ju wasn't in bed beside him. A confused look came over his face.

"Ju?" he asked. Yao climbed out of bed and began his walk through the house to look for his wife.

"Ju? Ju?" he asked. When he came down to the den, a confused look came over his face. His wife sat on the couch holding Jing tightly to her chest. She had her jaw clinched with an angry scowl on her face.

"Ju? Baby? What's the matter?" he asked. Ju looked up at him with a cold look in her eyes. He caught her muttering under her breath.

"What did you say?" Yao asked.

"That bitch broke into our house," Ju growled. Her husband looked so confused.

"What?" he asked. She looked like a demon in her eyes.

* * *

The whole clan met up in the main house. Ju wouldn't let go of her baby. She didn't care about how she would sound.

"Someone is stalking us," the clan leader said. "This woman's daughter broke into my house this morning." The clan all stared at her.

"But how was that possible?" Yao asked. "There was nothing on the camera."

"I don't know," Ju said. "Magic. Something. I don't know! This can't happen anymore!" Yao patted her on the arm. She flinched away from him. Everyone listened with sympathetic ears.

"What did this woman look like?" Hen-to asked. Ju took a breath.

"Curly black hair, dressed like she came out of Victorian England, and she wore all black," she said. "She said her name was Hecate Mayfair. She said that Allison was her mother."

"Mayfair?" Bik asked. Ju cocked her head.

"You heard of that name?" she asked.

"Vaguely," the nurse said.

"How are we going to deal with the security?" Wan asked. The living room went silent. Yao started to say something but went quiet. Could he say this?

"What is it, Yao?" Fei asked. All eyes turned their focus on Yao. He sat up straighter in his chair.

"Maybe we should put up charms around the house," he said. No one said a word at first. Yao looked around and the rest of the clan.

"Too much?" he asked.

"How would you do that?" Bik asked. Yao took a moment to think. Ju kept her gaze locked on him. The baby started to squirm in her arms. She bounced him in her arms, shushing him.

"I know a place," Hark said. All eyes fell on her.

"Lili and I found this small medicine shop in Shanghai," she said. "They sell herbs, powders, liquids, and charms." Lili grabbed her hand.

"We think we can get some items to keep out witches," he added. Ju blinked so confused.

"Wait… hold up," she said. "Witches?" The older adults had sheepish looks on their faces at first. Bik pressed her lips together.

"They think that witches are following you for some reason," Mei said.

"What?!" Ju asked. Wan hit her thigh under the table.

"Ow," Mei said through clenched teeth.

"Couldn't you have delivered that with a little more tact?" her mother asked.

"What? By beating around the bush with it?" the younger woman asked. "They have to know."

"There's a gentler way of doing that, you know?" Wan said. Mei rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose.

"Like you would know what tact is," she muttered under her breath. Her mother whipped her head around.

"What did you say?!" she snapped. Hen-to loudly cleared his throat. Mother and daughter went quiet.

"Anyway," Hen-to said. "We'll check out this shop and work from there."

"Wait!" Ju shouted. "We're not going to talk about the fact I have witches harassing my family?" Yao pulled her in close. Little sounds of discomfort escaped from Jing's little mouth.

"Why are they targeting our son?" Yao asked.

"We don't know," Fei admitted. Ju groaned aloud.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Calm down, Ju," Yao whispered. His wife glared at him. China found it wiser to keep his mouth shut.

"We are still looking into it," Cai said.

"We are doing everything we can to keep you and your baby safe," Fei added. None of those words seemed to be helping. Ju's jaw tightened.

"All of us here know what it's like to be worried about a child," Tse said. "Personally, I would rather die than to see anything happen to Jing."

"I could expand out the security across the property," Yao added. "We'll go already to the entry if we need to." Ju lowered her eyes.

"Thank you, everyone," she said. Jing seemed to be reaching up to touch her face. Yao nudged her on the arm.

"Hey, can I hold him?" he asked. Ju looked up at him. Her husband had a calm smile on his face. The clan leader took a breath.

"Alright," she said in a whisper. Ju gently handed over her son. Yao gently bounced the baby up and down.

"Shhh, hi there. Hi there," he whispered to the baby.

"Hey," Szu spoke up. All eye fell on her. She sat up straight in her chair.

"What do we do if one of us runs into a witch?" the girl asked. "Do we have to do anything or just run?" She raised a good point.

"Just ignore them," Bik said. "If they try to do anything, run for it." She didn't sound too certain in her own words.

"That's one suggestion," Hen-to spoke up. Ju didn't look so convinced. Suddenly, she wanted to be holding her baby again.

"We will keep working to find an answer," Hen-to answered. "I promise." Yao moved the child so that his mother could get a better look at him. She reached out and touched the baby's little nose. Jing cooed and giggled at her touch.

"Is there anything else we need to talk about?" Yao asked. The clan talked amongst themselves. Yao turned his attention to Ju. He rested his forehead against hers.

"We're going to be okay," he whispered. "We're not going to let anything to happen to our baby." For once today, Ju could finally smile. Jing lay peacefully in his dad's arms.


	16. Mountain Ash

Match Sixteen: Mountain Ash:

Lydia stared at herself in the mirror. Trauma never goes away. Her therapist told her that she had to tell the truth. Florence died before she had a chance. Alfred had changed since baby Florence was born. But could he handle what happened to her?

It wasn't her fault. She knows that now. It took her a while to believe it. The monster who hurt her was caught. This wasn't his first time. She was going to be a witness.

Lydia trembled. It was normal for her to want to forget. But they needed her. She needed justice for herself. Lydia had to force herself not to scream. She was done with all of it. The nightmares, the silence, the urge to scream, and seeing that monster out of the corner of her eye. She gripped the sides of her sink and gritted her teeth.

"I just want it to end!" Lydia complained to her therapist. The older woman looked up at her.

"You know what you need to do."

Lydia clenched her fists in her lap. "I know that!" She lowered her head. "It's just…" The young woman trembled.

"Do you trust him?"

She lifted her head. "Hm?"

"Do you trust him?"

Lydia started to speak but nothing came out. Her eyes shifted away from her therapist. She already knew the answer to that but why couldn't see bring herself to say it? The clock ticking in the background did little to ease her thoughts.

Back in present day, Lydia forced herself to calm down. Might as well just rip this bandage off. If Florence trusted him, there was no reason that she couldn't either. Lydia nodded to herself before she walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

Lydia found Alfred sitting in the living room. Baby Florence was asleep in her room. The young woman stood in the doorway. She clenched her fists by her side. Lydia was tired of keeping down in her gut. The young woman matched over to the sleeping man on the couch. She smacked him on the arm.

"Alfred," she whispered. "Get up. Get up!" The American man slowly opened his eyes. Lydia stood over him with a worried look on his face.

"Hm? Lydia? What is it?" he asked. She moved her hand to her chest.

"Alfred," the young woman said. "I need to tell you something." The American man sat up straight.

"What is it?" he asked. Lydia came over and sat down next to him. Alfred started to look confused.

"Lydia?" he asked again. She hesitated at first.

"Do you remember when I left home to go west?" Lydia asked at last.

"Yeah?" Alfred said. She looked down at her lap.

"I was going out to meet my birth mother," Lydia said. "She lives somewhere in Oregon. I had to meet her. Maybe I shouldn't have." She rested her hands in her lap.

"What happened?" Alfred asked. Lydia shook her head. No, she had to keep going. Anything to get this trauma out of her life.

"I stopped in Texas at one point," she said. "I was by myself. I had been traveling by bus. One night, I… I went to a rest stop. I went across the street to a diner for dinner." She started to play the whole nightmare in her head. Her chest started to hurt with tinge. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Lydia…" Alfred said.

"No, listen!" she shouted. Lydia could feel herself shaking. The American man stared at her. The young woman took a deep breath.

"There wasn't really anyone inside," Lydia forced herself to go on. "There was this one guy who was a bit older than me. I tried not to pay any attention to him. I just wanted to finish my dinner and go to bed. That was a mistake on my part. He kept getting closer." She rubbed her forehead and started trembling.

"It wasn't my fault," she said to herself. "It wasn't my fault!" Alfred put his arm around her. Lydia looked up in shock.

"Alfred?" she asked.

"It's okay," he said. Lydia shook her head.

"Why didn't I turn around in time?" she asked. "If I had just looked…" The young woman swallowed a mouthful of air. She finally added the final gut punch came out in two words.

"Hm?" Alfred asked. Lydia lifted her head.

"I'm pregnant," she said in a choked out whisper. Alfred about fell out of his chair.

"What?!" he asked. "By who?" Lydia gulped.

"By the guy who raped me," she said quietly.

"What?! How did that happen? Are you okay?" he asked. Lydia trembled as she shook her head.

"Oh, Lydia," the American man said. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't want this baby!" she wailed. A scream bubbled in her throat. Then came that damned question.

"What do you want to do?" Alfred asked. Lydia turned her head with tears in her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"What do you want to do about the baby?" he asked. Lydia looked down at her lap.

"I don't want it," she whispered. The American man nodded.

"Well okay," he said. "We can work from there." Lydia had a thin trail of tears running down her cheeks.

"I don't get it," she said.

"Get what?" Alfred asked.

"Why are you helping me so much?" the young woman asked. The American man gave her a goofy smile as he took hold of her hand.

"Because," he said. "You are family now." Lydia tried to think of a response but nothing came to mind. Instead, more tears filled her eyes. At long last, she broke down crying on his shoulder. Alfred just patted her on the back and let her do so.


	17. Onryo

Match Seventeen: Onryo:

Something has changed about Kiku.

Sena got the phone call in the early hours of the morning. She felt around outside of her futon for her phone. The woman grumbled to herself the whole time.

"Hello?" she asked. The call didn't last long for her to fully wake up.

"What?! Where did he go?!" she asked. The nurse was speaking in a panic as she tried to explain what happened last night.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sena said. "Slow down! Slow down! What happened?" The nurse took a breath on the other line and started again. Sena stood up after the story spilled into her ears. Soon, she was dressed and headed out the door.

* * *

Kiku wandered around through the empty morning streets. He looked out of sorts. The fog sat heavy in the air. Something seemed to be calling out to him. The frail man got up around midnight and left his room. He couldn't feel the cuts at his feet. Did someone try to stop him? He wasn't aware of it. His surroundings blended around into an empty space. His wounds started to fill with puss. The smell followed him out through the streets.

* * *

-7:29 a.m.-

Sena stood with the police at the mental institution. She rubbed her forehead and groaned.

"How could you let this happen?!" the woman shouted at the staff. One of the doctors rubbed the back of his head. She threw back her head and screamed.

"I don't believe this!" Sena screamed. "How do you guys lose a patient?" The doctors and nurses couldn't answer her. The cops got hold of the tapes from CCTV. Everyone crowded around for a look. The footage showed nothing at first. At first, the hospital halls were empty. One of the cops fast forwarded through the footage. Finally, they could see Kiku walking down the hall in a daze. Sena rose to her feet.

"That's him! That's my husband!" she shouted.

"Ma'am, please calm down," one of the officers said. Sena had to be sat back down.

"Uh… sir, what is that around his feet?" another officer asked. Everyone took a look at the monitor. They noticed a cloud of black mist surrounding his ankles. The first cop looked so confused.

"Is something wrong with the camera?" he asked. The color drained from Sena's face as she started to tremble.

"No…" she murmured. "No…"

* * *

Crows cawed overhead. Kiku jerked back into reality. The Japanese man lifted his head. His stomach dropped as he began to put two and two together.

"Oh no…"

His body felt so cold. Kiku looked down and saw the smoke around his wrists and ankles.

"Oh…" he muttered to himself. Kiku poked at his right wrist. A harsh whisper floated up from the skin. A black haze floated up from the wound. The smell made him wrinkle his nose.

"Oh…"

The wind sounded like it was crackling behind him. Kiku doesn't turn around. He already knew who it was. Gentle fingertips brushed against his nape. He wasn't afraid anymore. She moves in front of him.

"You found me," she said. He has no emotion on his face. Her lips curved into a catlike smile. Footsteps came up behind him.

"Hello, daughters of Allison Mayfair," she said. The nightcomers all circled Kiku. There was nothing in his dead eyes. She smiled and caressed his cheek.

* * *

-Noon-

Sena sat on the porch, trembling. Yao put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "We will get him back." She looked up at him and kind of shrugged.

"I tried to keep this from happening," she said. "I just…" Sena shook her head.

"I know," her brother-in-law said.

"How is your clan?" Sena asked.

"Good for the most part," Yao said, nodding. "We have some problems but we are doing fine." Both of them felt that it would be wise to leave it at that. They looked up when a car pulled up in the driveway. Sena stood up when she saw the cops coming out.

"Have you found him yet?" she asked.

"We're still looking," one of the cops said. "But we do have witnesses saying that he was last scene going downtown towards the cemetery." Sena and Yao looked at each other.

"Any reason why he would be going there?" the cop asked.

"No," Sena said.

"Hm," the cop said.

"Did they say where?" Yao asked.

"We have the officers still looking," the second cop told him. Yao and Sena looked at each other again.

* * *

-Kiku-

It doesn't hurt anymore.

She still scares me. But I can handle being by her side. I have to do this. I am doing this to protect Sena and everyone else.

It's too late for Im Yong. There are five more seals to go. I worry who will be next. She tells me that I should not worry. We will all be covered in the red death. That should scare me. But she insists that everything will be fine.

She pulled me into her arms. Tears ran down my cheeks.

"Will they be okay?" I asked. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"You will all die under me," she says.

"Will it hurt?"

Her lips came within inches of my right ear. "No." My body went limp in my arms. Somehow that is fine with me.

I slowly reach up to embrace her.

* * *

-5:58 p.m.-

Sena sat alone on the porch. She didn't want to go inside. She'd fight to stay away if she could. The family did their best to check on her. Some even stayed with her.

"You have to eat something," Vietnam told her. Sena shook her head. The Vietnamese woman left her food there by her side.

Sena was about to doze off she saw a figure standing at the end of the driveway. She jerked herself awake for a better look.

"Kiku?" the woman asked. The woman stood up, shielding her eyes for a better look. The figured started walking towards her. Her heart did little flips in her chest.

"Kiku!" Sena shouted. She ran over and hugged her husband wildly. Kiku gently embraced her.

"I'm home," he said in a calm tone. Something felt off. Sena looked up at her husband.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "Why did you leave the hospital like that?" Kiku shook his head.

"I don't really know," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Kiku took her by the cheeks.

"I think everything is going to be okay now," he said. "I'm sorry if I worried you." The Japanese man kissed her on the hand.

"Okay…" Sena said with an eyebrow raised. "But where did you go?"

"Just to the graveyard," Kiku said. "And then I came home."

"All this time?" she asked.

"I guess I have," he said. "I think I'm a bit tired."

"Uh… sure, sure," Sena said, nodding. "Let's get you inside." She moved his arm around her shoulders and walked him to the house. Kiku didn't say a word the whole time. Sena couldn't chase away the sinking feeling in her stomach. But he was much calmer than he had been in months. This should be fine for now, right?


	18. Sanguination Love

Match Eighteen: Sanguination Love:

Sabine is on the hunt. Allison sent her back to Italy for this part of the game. Michael needed to be woken up on the night of the summer new moon. For that to happen, Sabine needed to sacrifice something precious to her.

Hence why she found herself at Club Aphrodite ten nights ago. Only Feliciano knew what her real intentions were. He stood beside her at the bar. She didn't even look up from her drink.

"I know why you are here," the Italian man said in her ear. Sabine stirred her drink with the straw.

"Are you here to stop me?" she asked.

"No," Feliciano said.

"Oh?" the nightcomer asked. "So why are you here?" The Italian man watched the people on the dancefloor.

"I just want to see what happens next," he said. Sabine turned and looked up with a curious look on her face.

"And since when do you care about our game?" she asked.

"I don't," Feliciano said. "I might have some sort of a fascination for you."

"A fascination?" Sabine asked.

"Something like that," he admitted. "I don't really know what you would call it." The nightcomer gave him a little smirk. She leaned in as if to kiss him. But then Sabine stopped.

"Flattery isn't going to score big with me, poppet," she said in a low mocking tone. The nightcomer pulled back.

"You're cute but you aren't my type!" she said boldly. Feliciano just kind of shrugged.

"Can't fault a man for trying," he said. Sabine went back to her drink.

* * *

What's with everyone acting so chill lately? Kiku now has that distant look in his eyes. Almost like he knows what's coming next.

The older countries don't like this. And there are five more seals to break.

"The dead will rise," Antonio said to himself.

"Huh? What the hell are you going on about?" Lovino asked. The Spanish man turned his head.

"Lovino, the world is coming to an end," he said. The Italian man had a concerned look on his face.

"Come on, quit joking around," he said. Antonio didn't respond. Lovino frowned.

"Antonio?" he asked.

"Have you talked to your brother lately?" the Spanish man asked.

"No…" Lovino said. The color drained from his face. He didn't want to go home. The Italian man had to stay with the Spanish man. That house wasn't a home anymore. Antonio put his hands on his shoulders.

"Don't give up on him," he said. "You have to get through to him when it's too late." Lovino couldn't even think of anything to say. It just burned in his throat.

"Promise me that you will save him," Antonio pleaded. "Please?" Lovino pressed his lips together.

"Promise me! Please! Promise me!" the Spanish man begged. Lovino lifted his chin.

"I promise," he said. Antonio took a breath.

"Thank you," he said, bowing his head. Lovino felt like he wanted to sink into the floor.

* * *

-Rome-

Sabine took another look around the club. A group of young footballers sat at the other end of the bar. They all looked to be about sevens and eights. The nightcomer did a quick headcount. Twelve men in their twenties tonight. They looked pretty cute. Not enough for her to make a second look.

Sabine picked the cherry out of her drink and took a bite.

That's when she saw him.

He sat alone towards the exit of the club. The young man didn't look to comfortable in his suit or being here. He sloshed his drink in his hand. Sabine watched to run her fingers through his short dark curly hair. Something inside of her told her that he was the one. The nightcomer paid her tab and walked over to the lonely young man.

The young man suddenly became aware of someone sitting next to him. He slowly turned his head. Sabine gave him a charming little smile.

"Hello," she said. The young man gave her a strange look at first.

"Hi…" he said. Sabine got a good look at his features under the flashing lights. His face said that he looked about fifteen years old. His chiseled jaw was a plus for the nightcomer. Sabine couldn't help but stare at his baby cheeks.

"Not much of a partyer, are you?" she asked. His cheeks burned. He tried to look anywhere else but at her. The nightcomer wanted to kiss him on the lips already.

"I barely get out either," Sabine lied. She stuck out her right hand. "My name's Sabine. And you are?" The young man coughed and cleared his throat. He mumbled something under his breath.

"Hm?" Sabine asked.

"Z-Z-Zeno," he said. Her lips curved into a catlike smile.

"You know, I'm kind of bored with this club," she said. "I'm going to step out." The nightcomer let her eyes slowly trail upwards on his body.

"Care to join me?" she asked. That was all it took. Before anyone knew it, Sabine and Zeno were out the door.

* * *

Relationships take time to bloom. Love doesn't always happen so easily. Sabine knew this and she knew how to work her charms.

Zeno didn't talk much. Sabine looked at him curiously one afternoon.

"You're always so tense around me," the nightcomer said. "Are you gay or something?"

"No!" Zeno was quick to say. He calmed down once he realized how that came out.

"I mean, I am straight if that is what you are asking," the footballer said. "I have nothing against gay people, of course. Some of my teammates are gay and bi. I'm cool with LGBTQ, you know?" Sabine giggled as he got tripped up on his words.

"I understand," she said in a calm tone as she patted him on the back. Did he have to be so cute and awkward? She decided not to use any magic to woo him. Natural would be the best bet for this to work.

"You don't really go on many dates, do you?" Sabine asked as they walked around Rome after leaving the club. Zeno nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No," he said. "It's mostly school, family, and football for me."

"Wholesome choir boy, I see," she said. Zeno nervously laughed again.

"I didn't get time to party or have a social life," he admitted.

"Family problems?"

"Something like that. It's gotten better though."

She gave him a charming little smile. "I have my own family problems too." It helped that the nightcomer didn't have to lie. All she had to do was spin her web and draw him in.

"How long are you in Rome for?" Sabine asked on the first night.

"A couple of weeks," he said. "We're kicking off our European tour. You?" She stopped and spun around in the street.

"As long as I feel like it!" she shouted to the sky. For once tonight, Zeno finally smiled. Sabine had to admit that she was falling for his kind green eyes and warm smile. He make an excellent boyfriend.

Too bad that he had to die.

She turned it into a game with herself. The nightcomer betted that she could probably make him fall in love with her for a short few days. That wouldn't be too hard. Sabine did have some attraction to the younger footballer. His friends seemed happy to see him come out his shell for the European games. Sabine even came out to one of his games. She gave him a kiss for victory after his team won.

It would be a shame that this movie romance would come to a violent end.

Sabine turned around as they made it back to her hotel after their seventh date.

"Zeno, there is something that I have to show you tomorrow night," she said in a serious tone. Her paramour had a curious-excited look on his face.

"What is it?" he asked. Sabine gently took him by the hands. She gave him a little smile of mischief.

"You're going to have to see tomorrow night, aren't you?" the nightcomer asked. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. His cheeks grew hot after she pulled away.

"Okay…" was all Zeno could say after that, signing his death warrant. Sabine smiled before kissing him again. This one more gentle, more loving. Zeno could feel butterflies flutter in his chest. That warmth lasted until she pulled away again.

"Good night," Sabine purred. She blew one more kiss before she disappeared into the lobby. Zeno stood and watched as she walked further into the building. Such a gentleman he was. But alas this game was going to have to end. Zeno was a good man. Probably would've made a good husband and father. Sadly, he'd never live to see both.

The night of the new moon was coming tomorrow night.


	19. Antebellum

Match Nineteen/Halo Thirteen/Key Nine: Antebellum:

After Every Party I Die

_You're living but you've got no soul. You captivate but you hold no weight at all. So watch as I start to smile._

It was unusually hot that night. Ami lay in her bed feeling like she was going to choke. She felt it getting worse. The spoiled heiress had her hand to her chest. She wished that Lavi stopped avoided her so much. Ami had given up sleeping at this point. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"I want this to stop," she whispered to herself.

Ami could tell when it was coming at this point. The back of her throat felt like rusty nails sticking through the wet walls. No amount of medicine could chase it away. Ami tightly shut her eyes.

_Go away. Please go away. Please go away!_

Suddenly, she heard a thump at the window.

Ami yanked open her eyes and turned her head. A figure floated outside her window. The hood hid the face. The heiress held her sheets to her chest. She shook her head.

"No. Get away from me."

The figure lingered there with its eyes fixed on the mother-to-be. The temperature in her room suddenly dropped. She pulled her blanket close to her body. Ami ducked under her bed. She tried to pray away the hooded figure. Ha! Like any prayer would work. Ami felt the air leave her chest.

Her bedroom door opened. Ami tightly shut her eyes.

_Not again. Please leave alone. Leave us alone! What do you want from us?_

Heavy panting filled the room. Her eyes shot wide open.

Pounding music filled the air. Ami lifted her head. Flashing lights skipped around her. Black figures danced around her to the pounding music. Sounded to be a loud pounding house brand. The mother-to-be looked around frantic.

"Hello?" she asked. Ami could barely hear herself speak over the pounding music. She clutched her stomach as she felt the pain coming back. The girl sucked in a mouthful of air.

She couldn't see any of their faces. The music and figures' laughter made her ears ring in pain. Someone pushed at her back. Ami struggled to keep herself standing.

"Get away from me!" she cried. When she looked around, the person disappeared into the crowd. Ami puffed up her cheeks. Where the hell was she? What was she doing here?

_I want to go home._

But where could she go? Too many people were closing in around her. Some of them seemed to be staring at her. Ami turned to see a group of them facing her.

"What?" she asked. "What do you want from me?" Her voice got lost in the void. The music started to clash again the sounds of screaming. Ami covered her ears and screamed as well. Her voice got lost in the music. The baby inside of her seemed to be clawing himself out of her body. Hot tears spilled from her eyes. Low whispers filled her ears.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" she screamed over and over. The mother-to-be tried to turn around and run. She didn't care where she went. She needed to get out of here. But the crowd seemed to be pushing her back into place. Ami tried to fight them off to the best of her ability.

"Get away from me!" she screamed. More hands started to push her back. Ami tried to fight them off. She had to get back home.

Suddenly, there was a low rumbling noise. Against her better judgment, Ami looked up. The sprinklers started shaking. Suddenly, they started to rain out the dark liquid. A drop hit her face. Ami slowly reached up as she wiped her cheek.

_What…What is this?_

She looked at the blood on her fingertips. Through the darkness, it didn't take long for her to recognize what was raining down. Ami screamed in terror. She turned her head to the guests all standing around, looking at the sprinklers. Their jaws were wide open to their throats. Sprays of blood went everywhere. The deranged guests drank up the blood like it was life-giving water. One woman howled aloud and threw back her head. She let off a loud moan. She raked her claws across her chest. Blood started to run out of the wound. The partiers ran over to her like ravenous wolves. Their teeth and nails sank into her pale flesh. The woman moaned as they tore her to pieces. Ami chocked back bile but couldn't turn away. It felt like something or someone was holding her head in place. She tried to look behind her but saw nothing. Nothing but pure darkness. A low hissing filled her right ear. The young mother-to-be started whimpering.

"Please let me go," she pleaded. A cold grip tightened on her right arm. She could feel invisible nails sinking into the skin. Laughing buzzed in her right ear. Ami winced with hot tears in her eyes.

That's when she saw it.

Red glowing eyes stared upon her. The room became so silent that she could hear everyone heavily breathing. There had to be so many of them. Ami quickly shook her head.

"No… no…" she said over and over. The eyes started coming closer. She couldn't turn and run. Something held her in place. Ami shook her head with wide eyes.

"No… No… Stay back! Stay away from me!"

The eyes started moving closer. Ami tried in vain to escape. The eyes moved closer and closer. They only chanted one thing.

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

"Mother!"

They advanced upon her. So many hands grabbed at her body. Her screaming was drowned out by their chanting. The last thing she could remember was all of those eyes surrounding her as the world sank into black.

Behind her, the Woman in Red laughed like the madwoman everyone feared her to be.

* * *

"Ami! Ami, where are you?" Lavi called in the morning as he walked through the downtown cemetery. When he woke up the next morning, Ami wasn't in bed. The angel already feared the worst. He slipped out of her bed and quietly began the search for the mother of his child. Bookman managed to catch him halfway out the door.

"Lavi, wait!" he shouted. The younger angel turned his head. Bookman flew up to his side.

"Oh, what is it, old man?" Lavi complained.

"You will not find her in time," the older angel said.

"But…" his student said. Bookman stuck up his hand.

"Let me help you," he said. The older angel held up his hand and waved them in the air. He pulled out Ami's toothbrush and threw it into the forming circle of hot white. Lavi looked around as his body felt lighter. He vanished into thin air.

Lavi spent most of the morning looking for the mother of his child.

"Ami! Ami!" he shouted as he ran between the rows. His heart pounded against his chest. The angel tried to push out the worst from his head. _Please be okay. Please be okay. I hope I am not too late._

Lavi happened to look up to see a figure lying in front of an old and crumbling mausoleum surrounded by white, purple, and yellow flowers. The angel ran forward on instinct. He found that the figure was Ami lying unconscious on the ground.

"Ami!" the angel shouted. He ran over to her.

"Ami! Ami! Wake up! Hey! Hey!" Lavi shouted as he shook her by the shoulders. The whole time he hoped that she wasn't going to die. The girl's eyes slowly fluttered open. Lavi breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh goodness, you're still alive," he said.

"Lavi…" Ami croaked in a hoarse voice.

"Shhh, shhh," the angel whispered. "Don't talk. Let's just get you home, okay?" The mother of his child slowly nodded.

"Right," Lavi said. "Can you stand up?" Ami kind of shook her head.

"Alright," the angel said. Lavi moved her arm over his shoulders.

"Lean on me, okay?" the angel asked. Ami quickly nodded. He helped the pregnant girl to her feet.

"We're going to take slow steps, alright?" Lavi said in a low voice. The girl slowly nodded again. At this point, she looked so tired. The angel figured it would be better not to engage her in any more conversation at the moment. Not until she recovered enough to talk.

They slowly made their way out of the cemetery. The whole time, the Woman in Red watched them from the mausoleum with cold dead eyes.

_You're living but you've got no soul. You captivate but you hold no weight at all. So watch as I start to smile._

* * *

Bring Me Back a Dog

_God give a little love. Bring me back a dog in the next life. God give a little love. Wanna be a dog in the next life._

This should be easy. The nightcomers just needed to sacrifice something of high value to them. Sabine already had her choice. Things had been going well between her and Zeno.

"So where are we going tonight?" he asked. She turned back to him with a coy smile on her face. The nightcomer had been playing this game so well. It was easy to feign love when the target is fairly attractive. She might have actually felt something for him. Wasn't that the point of this ritual though? Sabine turned and kissed Zeno on the lips. He smiled and kissed her back. So sweet. So tender. The nightcomer kissed him on the forehead.

"We're almost there," she whispered in his ear. Zeno smiled to himself as she led him through the empty streets.

* * *

Allison and her daughters were getting ready for their own ritual. The flat needed to be cleaned first. They did that this morning. Arthur sat on the couch in a daze. Allison went from room to room, checking everything. Her lips curved into a smirk.

"Excellent," Allison said.

The nightcomers walked around and set up an unlit black candle in each room. They all had to sit in the window. Place seven white stones around the bottom. Draw a circle in the middle of each room. Allison sprinkled brick dust at the doors. Arthur rose to his feet. Hecate turned the head.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "It's not time yet. Please sit down." The empty Englishman sat down. Hecate had a curious look on her face. He shouldn't have been getting up yet. Could it be possible that…?

Hecate shook her head.

Nah, that was just silly. They had broken him. Why would he be asking on his own now?

* * *

Sabine and Zeno made it down to the ruins. The lovestruck boy looked around.

"Why are we out here?" he asked. "Is this part of the surprise?"

"Yes," Sabine said. She had her back to him.

"Okay…" the boy said. "Then what is it?" The nightcomer had her knife hidden in her sleeve.

"Close your eyes for me," Sabine said aloud. Zeno looked confused.

"What for?" he asked.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

"Huh?" Zeno asked.

"Do you love me?" she asked again. The boy gulped as his cheeks turned bright red.

"Uh… well… we've only been together for few days," he said.

"Do you?" Sabine asked again. Her forceful tone compelled him to make up her mind.

"Yes!" Zeno shouted. "I love you very much!" Sabine chuckled.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," she said. The nightcomer turned around and kissed him on the lips. Zeno relaxed and kissed her back. She put her arm around his neck.

* * *

All over London, the blinds were closed. The streets had never been so quiet. Parents wouldn't let their children and pets outside. Even the animals were smart enough to hide. It's almost like they were expecting something to happen. Everyone and everything could feel it coming.

By sundown, Allison and her daughters went around and lit the candles. One by one, each room is lit. Arthur sat on the chair in a daze. A small smile came across his face.

The nightcomers all gathered on the roof once everything was set up. It was a new moon tonight. All of the daughters joined hands. A red fleshy mass lied in the center. "Arms", "legs", and "head" were all splayed out spread eagle. Hecate and Tessa formed the mass from the bodies of dead animals and aborted fetuses. After several attempts, the little body finally came together. Allison put her hands in the air.

"Michael, come to us!" she said. "Hear our cries! We offer up the blood of England to you. Come to us, dear Michael! Come to us and open up the Kingdom of Blood upon us!" The nightcomers joined in with the chanting. The night breeze grew higher around them. The fleshy mass started to move around as if in pain. Low moans escaped from its non-existent mouth. The "head" turned completely around so fast that it looked like it would break off. The nightcomers chanted faster. Allison held a big silver knife above her head.

"Come into this body, Michael!" she yelled. "We await your awakening!"

Stab!

The knife came down into the mass's chest. The living creature wiggled around before it fell limp. Black liquid ran out all over the roof. Allison threw back her head and howled.

"Come to us, Michael!" she shouted. Her laughter drowned out the howls of her daughters. The black liquid began to glow and fly up into the sky into glow-like balls. One by one, they disappeared into dark embers. Hot air surrounded the nightcomers. When the last ball exploded, everything became still. All of the nightcomer daughters had collapsed onto the roof. Allison stood alone in the center with a cold smirk on her face. His eyes glowed a hazy red.

Meanwhile downstairs, Arthur smiled to himself as a little life came back into his eyes.

* * *

Slash!

Her blade went across his throat so deep that she nearly cut off his head. Zeno didn't even get time to react. His beloved had such a cold look on her face. The look of terror flooded his beautiful green eyes as he gagged. Blood gushed everywhere. Sabine just waited for the ritual to be complete. A single tear ran down Zeno's cheek as he fell to her feet.

High-pitched wailing filled the early morning air. Sabine looked up at the sky and held out her arms.

"Come to me, Michael!" the nightcomer screamed. Deep dark waves formed in the sky and started moving rapidly. Blood began raining down over the city. Sabine threw back her head and laughed like the sanity had left her mind. Locusts formed from the ground and took flight through the blood.

Then the world sank into silent darkness.

* * *

Sabine didn't fully let him go. Michael just needed Zeno's blood after all. They didn't say that she could keep parts of him for herself. She only wanted three things from her dead lover. The nightcomer took her knife and cut out his heart. She then took his beautiful dead green eyes. When she was done with the knife, she wiped the blade on the green and put it back in her sleeve. There was one more thing that she just had to have. This one was going to take some time. Sabine pulled out her pliers.

"Sorry to do this to you, love," she whispered over the body. "You will be used to the fullest." The nightcomer pushed open his mouth and placed her pliers on the first top front tooth. She took her time pulling out each tooth. She would pause and look around. So far, there was no one in sight. The nightcomer made sure that she and Zeno were nowhere in sight in the coliseum. But she couldn't be too careful.

One by one, each tooth came out of the gum. Blood started to fill the open mouth. The front was easy. It became more difficult when she moved further back. Her grip kept slipping on the handles. But Sabine wasn't going to give up. She had to have his teeth. Her little bag filled up with each tooth. After she got the last tooth, Sabine rose to her feet. She breathed out and wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked down at the mutilated corpse of her beloved. He still managed to look somewhat beautiful without his teeth and eyes. There was no need to do anything else to the body. Let the police find him. They will probably think some serial killer did it. Let them chase a phantom killer until the End of Days arrived. By the time they got a clue, Sabine would be long gone back to England.

The nightcomer blew what used to be her lover one last kiss.

"Good night," Sabine whispered. She turned and walked down the hill. The bloody-covered sand and grass crunched under her feet. The nightcomer would be gone from Italy by morning.

_God give a little love. Bring me back a dog in the next life. God give a little love. Wanna be a dog in the next life._

* * *

I Come with Knives

_Kinder und sterne küssen und verlieren sich. Greifen leise meine hand und führen mich. Die traumgötter brachten mich in eine landschaft. Schmetterlinge flatterten durch meine seele,_

-6:00 p.m.-

This latest mess started with a text.

Mikado was in the shower when his phone buzzed. He didn't see the message until he walked into his room. The tadpole noticed his screen. He didn't recognize the number.

_Hm?_

Mikado opened the text. One quick read told him everything that he needed to know.

Hey baby,

I have a little proposal for you.

Let's play a game.

I am going to claim someone you care about in the next few hours. You have to until three in the morning to stop me. You are going to have to try and guess who it is. You have to guess who I am. If you catch me before time runs out, I will stop. But if my target dies, it will be just the beginning. Do not turn off your phone.

I wish you luck.

Love you! Xoxo

Mikado's blood ran cold. He wanted to believe that this was a prank. But deep down in his gut, he knew otherwise.

"Who are you? What do you mean?" he typed. It didn't take long for him to get a response.

"Uh-uh-uh! I can't tell you who I am. That would defeat the purpose. You have to play my game. The clock is ticking. You better get on it. Love you! Xoxo," the reply read. Mikado's stomach dropped. Right away, he began calling up everyone in his contact list.

First was his beloved Anri.

"Hello?" Anri asked on the other line. Mikado breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Anri-chan, where are you right now?" he asked.

"I'm at home, why?" she asked. The tadpole took a breath.

"Listen to me, Anri-chan," her boyfriend pleaded. "Don't open the door for anyone tonight."

"Why? What's the matter?" his girl asked. Mikado paused. How could he explain this without freaking her out? The tadpole rubbed his forehead.

"I don't know what's going on," he said. "But please be careful. Promise me that."

"Mikado-kun, what's going on?" she asked. Suddenly, Mikado's phone buzzed by his cheek. Against his better judgment, he looked at the screen. Another text. The tadpole just had to tap the screen. A confused look came over his face.

This was the outside of his apartment. A chill ran up his spine.

"What's going on, Mikado-kun?" Anri asked on the other line. "Hello? Hello?" Her voice sounded so distant as he walked over to the window. There was no one in sight at first.

"Are you still there?" Anri asked. "Mikado-kun? Mikado-kun?" That's when the tadpole caught a flashing light in the distance. It became clear to him what he needed to do.

"Mikado-kun?" his girlfriend asked again. Her voice was enough to bring him back to reality.

"Anri-chan? Oh. Listen, I have to go," the tadpole said.

"Mikado-kun? Mikado-kun?" Anri asked. Mikado hung up without a word. It didn't take him long to go running out the door.

* * *

-7:35 a.m.-

At this point, Emily couldn't take it anymore. She saw Roc's face everywhere. Lately, it had gotten worse. He knew where she went to school. He's followed her home. He even called her up on her phone. Her old methods of keeping herself grounded had long stopped working. Even Taiyou couldn't help her.

Emily pulled out her phone. They were all too busy to notice her pain. This would be her last chance to save herself. She dialed up the first number she could think of.

"Hello?" Mikado asked. The tadpole sniffled.

"I can't get away from him," she whimpered. "I don't know what to do. He's in my head and I can't get him out." Her eyes began to well up with tears.

"Aw, Emily," he said. She started biting on her thumb. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Where are you now?" Mikado asked.

"Home," she whimpered. Emily hiccupped a sob. Taiyou watched her across the room.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"No, it's not your fault," the other tadpole insisted. She's lost count of how many times she's heard them all say this. But it didn't make it any better.

"I'm so tired," Emily whispered. "So tired."

"Do you want me to come over?" he asked. Thin tears ran down her cheeks.

"Yes," she whimpered.

"Okay, I will be over really soon," Mikado said. Emily took a breath and closed her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered. More tears ran down to her cheeks before hanging up. It didn't take Emily long to break down weeping again. She already knew what was going to happen again. Their comfort did little to put her at ease anymore. What was the point?

Emily already saw how she was going to die.

* * *

-3:00 p.m.-

Meanwhile, the Tandeki Group got to work preparing for the activation of Michael.

Kitano picked up his phone in his office.

"Ah, yes," he said. "So glad that I could finally catch up to you. Are you ready to talk business?" There was a pause as he listened.

"Great," he said. "Then we can begin."

Meanwhile, Daichi and Osamu were ready to send off the next patch. The older of the two men looked up.

"Have you felt anything different lately?" he asked.

"Not really," Daichi said. His partner looked through his mask.

"Have you noticed that Segawa has been acting weird lately?" he asked. The younger man looked up at him.

"How weird?" Daichi asked. Osamu took a moment to think.

"This morning, I saw him intently checking his phone," he said. "That grin on his face looked rather creepy. I asked what he was doing here since the interns had the day off today."

"And what did he say?" the younger man asked. Osamu shrugged and shook his head.

"He didn't really say anything at first," he said. "Just gave me a strange look that reminded me of a wild dog looking for food. Then he just walked away. Gave me the creeps." Daichi lowered his tools.

"Come to think of it," he said. "I did hear him heavily breathing over the phone in the men's room a couple of days back."

"Did you say something to him?" Osamu asked.

"I cleared my throat and asked if he should be working right now," Daichi said. "He turned to me and said nothing." The younger man paused for a moment.

"Think we should report him?" he asked.

"And say what?" Osamu asked. "That he's acting creepy?" Daichi shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "It might be the altar getting to him." Osamu paused.

"Then what does that mean for us?" he asked. His partner didn't have an answer. The older man had to force himself to get back to work for the day. These flowers weren't going to blend themselves.

* * *

Aya had her part to do. It would be a matter of time before she had to step up next. But first, she needed to wake up the blood knights. One was already active.

She turned to her patient. "How does free feel?"

The woman with the long brown hair and glasses smiled. "Excellent."

"Are you ready for the next target?"

"Why yes. Who should I kill need?"

"That's up to you."

"Really?"

"Yes. That's what freedom is. You make your own choices."

The patient couldn't help but smile. "I know. I just want to hear it said out loud."

* * *

The latest murder hit the news. This time, it was an old widow. Everyone sat down to a shock for their dinner. She reveled in the gory details that the newscasters tried to dance around. The body was censored. Won't someone think of the children? She didn't need to see it anyway. She was thereafter all. It was her handy work. People were already talking.

"Who would do that to an elderly woman?"

"With that many stab wounds, how angry were they?"

"That boiling blood was scary."

"Look at all of those knives."

"Why would they do that?"

"Who could do such a thing to a sweet old lady?"

"I hope they catch that monster soon."

"Who could be so evil?"

"That poor old lady."

She sneered to herself over her ramen. Only she knew the truth. Her mother was not a sweet old lady. Her crime scene was fitting for how she lived. That old evil bitch deserved to boil in that blood in her tub. Well, it was over now. That was that.

She paid her pull and walked out of the coffee shop. She still had so much work to do.

* * *

-6:28 p.m.-

"Come on, come on," Mikado silently prayed as he held the phone to his ear. "Pick up! Pick up!" The ringing on the other line didn't make it any easier.

"Hello?" Masaomi asked on the other line. The tadpole breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh good!" he said. "Kida-kun, where are you right now?"

"I'm at home with Saki," he said. "Are you feeling okay? Anri called me and that you were freaking out. What's going on? Did they try to experiment on you again?" Mikado swallowed a mouthful of air.

"Listen," he forced himself to say. "You are all in serious danger. There is someone stalking me. They said they are going to kill someone I care about. I don't know who it is or who is the killer is!"

"Mikado?" Kida-kun asked.

"I know, I know it doesn't make any sense," the tadpole said. "But please believe me." There was a pause on the other line.

"It's okay, I believe you," Masaomi said like he was talking to an upset child. Mikado shut his eyes for a moment for swallowing another mouthful of air.

"Just please be careful," he pleaded. "Promise me you will."

"Okay, I will," his best friend said. "We both will." Mikado breathed out and sank down to his knees.

"Thank you," he said. But relief didn't last long as his phone buzzed in his hand. Mikado froze as he pulled the phone in front of his face. One next text from that damned unknown number. Why didn't just ignore it? This could've just stopped right where it was.

But no!

Mikado had a puzzled look on his face with the next text.

"Ladybird, ladybird. Fly away home. Your house is on fire and your children all gone."

The tadpole looked confused by the message but he kept scrolling down. Another picture popped up on the screen. The tadpole tilted his head. Where was this taken? This had to be from an alley of some sort. But where?

Three little dots in a speech bubble popped up. Mikado held his breath. That speech bubble seemed to mock him with every ticking second. The text finally popped up.

"I can see you! Come out and play!"

The tadpole quickly looked around. He couldn't see anyone but something inside of him told him it was time to go. Mikado took off running. He went back to his contact list. Who else could be the target?

* * *

Kururi had the connections for her plan to work. She felt like going out tonight. But she wasn't going to go alone. The girl pulled out her phone and dialed out that one number she needed tonight.

"Hello?" Chiyomi asked on the other line. Kururi put a fake smile on her face.

"Chiyomi!" she said. "How are you, dear?" There was a pause on the other line.

"Fine…" she mumbled. Kururi leaned back onto her bed, smirking.

"Let's go out tonight," she said.

"Go out where?" her clueless friend asked. Kururi shook her head. Not a virgin and still naïve.

"I'll come by and pick you up," she said. "You're really going to enjoy this." There was another pause on the line.

"Okay," Chiyomi said at last. Kururi smirked to herself.

"Great," she said. "I will see you in twenty minutes." The queen bee hung up before her victim could say another word. She turned to her mirror.

"Heh, I could use a bit of a touch-up," the girl said. Kururi climbed off of her bed and walked over to her bathroom.

* * *

Emily couldn't stay in her apartment. He knew where she lived. Home wasn't safe anymore. She voiced this concern to Mikado this morning. The tadpole drew her knees to her chest.

"Why can't he leave me alone?" she asked. More tears welled up in her eyes.

"Did you go to the police?" Mikado asked. Emily shook her head.

"What go will that do?" she asked. "I can't prove that it's him. He's smart enough to get away from the police if he wants to." The tadpole boy stared at her. The others were doing their best to keep her safe.

"Are the others still calling in to check on you?" he asked. Emily slowly nodded.

"Good," Mikado said. "Has anyone been staying with you at night? Besides Taiyou." She slowly shook her head.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Mikado asked.

"Not really," she mumbled. He grabbed her by the shoulders. Emily looked up at him.

"Look at me," he said. "You should stay with one of the others. It is not good for you to stay alone like this. I will see if Naomi-san will take you." He grinned her by the cheeks.

"You are going to okay," Mikado said. "Got it?" Emily didn't speak at first.

"Got it?" he repeated.

"Yes," Emily said in a soft voice. Mikado lowered his hands.

"Good," he said. "Call any of us if things get really bad."

In present day, Emily stared at her phone. How did she not have any bars in the city? She kept trying no but no luck. Something or someone kept jamming her phone. Her stomach dropped as she had an idea who.

"And you still can't find him?" Emily whispered to Taiyou.

"No, my lady," he said. She started biting on her nails. _Oh no… Not good. Not good at all._ Roc could be anywhere. Even in this large crowd, the tadpole girl was not safe.

Meanwhile, Roc watched her from a Starbucks across the street. He saw her walk by with her head down with her hands in her short's pockets. By now, reason had abandoned the car. Raw instinct took over. That time bomb kept ticking loudly.

* * *

-5:06 p.m.-

"Katsuhiro, we need to talk," Etsuko said in his office. He raised his eyebrow at his desk.

"Is this about Segawa-san?" he asked.

"You've noticed it too?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," the therapist said. "Most unfortunate."

"What do you want to do?" she asked. Kitano took a moment to think.

"Knowing him, he would know how to work around our usual surveillance," he said. "Plus, one of the lab tech assistants has reported some equipment has gone missing." Etsuko gave him a look of concern.

"Don't tell me that… But how did he even get security clearance to the labs on the top floors?" she asked.

"He may not look it but Segawa-san is really intelligent," Kitano said. "Give him half a chance and he will figure out anything to get his way. I didn't think his fixation on Shoujo E would resurface with such further. I didn't even take Segawa-san to be susceptible to the influences. Knowing him, he's found a way to evade being caught." He pulled out his phone.

"Which is why I took the liberty of downloading a tracking Trojan Horse and installed it onto his phone. Well, I had one of the hackers to do it," he added. The therapist turned the phone screen to Etsuko. She saw the orange dot moving along a road on the map. It looked like Roc was on the move in the streets.

"That's a start," the doctor said. "What do we do next?"

"I have someone following close behind for an extra measure," Kitano added. "For now, we can only track him. We can't prove what he could do to her. The best we could do is keep tabs on him. We will figure out how to deal with him in the morning." Etsuko nodded once.

"Agreed," she said.

"Is your branch ready for what's coming next?" Kitano asked.

"Yes," Etsuko said.

"Good," the therapist said.

* * *

-8:00 p.m.-

Chiyomi followed Kururi down the street. Both of them looked like they were ready to hit the town. Okay, Kururi did. Chiyomi… Well… she could still use some work. The queen bee glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. That red skirt and white tube top would have to do. Her hair and make-up were a saving grace at least.

"So where are we going?" Chiyomi asked again. Kururi sighed.

"A party," she said. "Now stop asking questions." Her friend drew her mouth closed.

"Okay," she said in a quiet voice. Her confident friend's mood changed. Ikki gave her a little "gift" to make the night more interesting. Kururi couldn't help but smirk to herself.

The girls made it up to Club Pink Kiss. Chiyomi saw the bouncer standing outside. There wasn't a line tonight. Kururi swayed up the twenty-something man. The bouncer looked up at her. The girl broke into a charming smile.

"Hey," Kururi said in a flirty tone. She reached out and pulled Chiyomi towards her. The other girl squeaked as the queen bee groped her breasts. Kururi grinned at the bouncer.

"My friend and I are looking for a good time tonight," she said. "Care to help us out?" Kururi kept fondling on Chiyomi's breasts. Her right hand slowly began creeping downwards. The other girl took in deep breaths as she squirmed in Kururi's arms. Her cheeks flushed bright red. The bouncer smirked at this display.

"I don't see a thing," he said. The man turned away as if something else caught his attention. Kururi grabbed Chiyomi by the hand and led her into the club before she could say another word.

"Why did you do that to me?" Chiyomi asked her friend. "I don't really like you like that." The queen bee panted her on the shoulder.

"Oh dear Chiyomi-chan," she said. "You have so much to learn."

"Huh?" the other girl asked. Kururi smirked under the flashing lights.

"Why don't you come with me and see," she said. She held up her hand to her friend. As if under a spell, Chiyomi took her by the hand.

* * *

Mikado had been through his contact list. So far, everyone was safe and well. Even the tadpoles were okay. But there was one person unaccounted for.

The tadpole dialed Emily's number. By now, he stood outside of Russia Sushi pacing around. The other line rang.

"Come on," Mikado said to himself. "Pick up. Pick up!" There came a pause over the other line.

"The number you are trying to reach is either out of range or turned off," the operator said. Mikado's stomach dropped. He tried her number again. The same results told him that something was really wrong. The tadpole dialed another number.

"Hello?" Nami asked on the other line.

"Hey Nami," Mikado said. "Have you heard from Emily lately?"

"No… what's the matter? Did something happen?" the water tadpole asked. Mikado pressed his lips together.

"Listen," he said. "I think something bad is going to happen to her. We need to try and find her as soon as possible."

"Okay, I will call the others to look for her," Nami said.

"Thank you," Mikado said.

"Should I call Celty too?" she asked.

"Yes!" the other tadpole said. As if on cue, his phone buzzed.

"Excuse me," Mikado said. He looked at his screen. Another text message. His stomach turned as he tapped the screen.

"No cheating! I can see what you are doing!"

The color drained from Mikado's face as he looked around. When were there so many people out here tonight? Too many demons blocked his view. The laughing and howling made his ears hurt. He tried to choke down his bile.

_What… What is this?_

The pain started to form in his head. His phone fell to the ground as he gasped aloud.

"What's going on? Are you still there? Mikado? Mikado? Hello? Hello?" Nami asked on the phone. Her voice was drowned out by the laughing and howling.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kururi and Chiyomi sat at the bar. The naïve girl was starting to warm up to her fast-paced surroundings. She wasn't used to this much attention on her. Her brazen friend took it all in. She had already ordered their drinks. Chiyomi sat bobbing around and enjoying the music. Kururi nudged her on the air. Her friend turned her head.

"What?" she asked. Kururi looked around for a bit before leaning in close.

"I brought us a little treat for us to try tonight," she said. The girl reached into her purse and pulled out a small baggie. Chiyomi's eyes grew wide.

"Are those-?" she began to ask. Kururi gently put her finger to her lips. She opened the baggie and pulled out two small white pills. The queen bee handed her one. Chiyomi blinked at first.

"You want me to take one?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," Kururi said. "You just take it and put it on your tongue. Like this." She put the little white pill on her tongue. The queen bee put her tongue back into her mouth. Feeling like it was okay, Chiyomi did the same.

"Now what?" she asked. Kururi gave her a catlike smirk.

"We wait," she said. Already, Chiyomi had a starry-eyed daze.

"Okay," she said. Her friend smirked as she couldn't wait to see where this would be heading tonight.

* * *

Emily tried not to look behind her. She knew that Roc was around, tailing her. The tadpole held her as she kept her eyes down. Emily tried losing him but that intern was relentless. She could hear him breathing heavily behind her. The signal on her phone was jammed beyond use. Trying again would be no use. Emily shut her eyes and started praying in her head.

_Please leave me alone. I don't want any trouble. I just want to go home!_

Meanwhile, Roc had the look of a wild animal in his eyes. He started breathing heavily. The intern had worked so hard for this plan tonight. It was so easy to swipe a copy of the lab worker's key. They had been so busy with preparing to play through this round that they could get so careless at times. Roc grinned to himself. Worked perfectly for him. Add in jamming his target's phone and tracking device, nothing could be better.

Emily gulped as she picked up her pace. She already knew what was coming. He just had to have her. Still, something inside of her wouldn't let her go down that easily. Emily ended up leading him to a graveyard. The tadpole paused before looking left and right.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" she asked. Roc stopped but didn't respond. She clenched her fists by her sides.

"Please leave me alone," she pleaded.

"You know I can't do that," Roc hissed. Emily shivered as she tried not to cry. It was just like her days in Chou Mori. She could already feel him pulling her into his grasp. His tongue licking on her cheek. Memories of hickies on her neck made her want to vomit. Emily counted down in her head.

"Taiyou, make him go away," she said with her eyes shut. She waited as she counted up her options. The silence made her open her eyes.

"Taiyou?" she asked, looking around. "Taiyou, where are you? Taiyou? Taiyou?" She whipped around at the sound of laughter. Roc gave her a cold smirk. Emily started backing away.

"Haven't you noticed it?" he asked.

"Noticed what?" the tadpole asked. Roc licked his lips as he moved closer. His hand was closer enough to reach her chest. Emily tried to run away but the intern proved himself to be much stronger. She had no idea when he had time to leap forward and grab her by the wrists. The crazed look in his eyes made her panic.

"Remember when that waiter bumped into you while you were trying to get away from me?" he asked. Emily's eyes widened as her mind retraced her steps.

"No…" she said.

"Yes," he said. "And you can thank your dullahan friend for giving me a way to subdue you long enough." He pressed his hand down onto her neck. Emily's body went limp. She couldn't move but she could still breathe. She could still move her eyes. Roc smirked as he unzipped his jeans. Many times he dreamt about doing this. But now, he would get his chance. Emily's eyes welled up with tears. Her lips murmured pleading to him. That only granted her smack across the face.

"Shut up!" Roc hissed. "Shut up, you little whore!" He smacked her across the face again. Tears welled up in his victim's eyes. The intern smirked and licked his lips.

"Yes," he muttered. Roc unzipped her shorts. Thick tears ran down her cheeks.

_Taiyou! Taiyou! Taiyou!_

By the time Roc took off her panties and forced her thighs open, she knew that no one was coming for her. No one would hear her out here in this graveyard. When Roc's heavy hand covered her mouth, she knew it was over.

* * *

Mikado tried his best to fight through the mental pains drumming in his head. His eyes watered as more and more inner demons turned to look at him. It didn't help that his phone mocked him with the constant buzzed. It became his ball and chain today. His tormentor kept leading him all over the neighborhood. And he still couldn't out who was doing this.

Because of this sensory overload, Mikado ended up wandering aimlessly.

When it cleared enough for him to see where he was, Mikado looked. First, there were people packed close and dancing to the music pounding above his head. It didn't take him long through the flashing lights and smell of salty to figure out he was in a dance club. He deduced that his pain and misery led him to this place. Mikado looked around but could only see demons and people in the crowd around him. He couldn't hear his phone buzzing at his side. The tadpole covered his ears to block out the painfully loud music. No wonder Megumi couldn't stand clubs anymore.

Mikado knew that he couldn't stay here much longer. He needed to get out of here and find Emily before it was too long. The fact that none of the tadpoles could reach out to her telepathically became a red flag. Did whoever taunt him with texts finally reach her? Was Taiyou trying his best to protect her?

However, his thoughts became distracted when Mikado noticed something not right at the bar. Wait… Was that who he thought it was? The young man teleported through the crowd and made his way over to Chiyomi and Kururi at the bar. The girls looked up when he slammed his hand down.

"What are you doing here?" Mikado hissed through the music. The queen bee looked up at him with a catlike smile on her face.

"I could ask you the same thing, Mikado!" she said. She put emphasis on his name. Chiyomi looked up at him, giggling. The tadpole looked so flustered.

"You shouldn't be here! Does Izaya even know where you are right now?" he shouted. "You're both underaged! And who is this?" Chiyomi looked up with a high smile.

"You're pretty!" she said. Mikado narrowed his eyes.

"Wait… are you two high?" he asked. Kururi giggled.

"Yeah!" Chiyomi shouted, pumping her fist in the air. She broke down into loud laughter. The tadpole smacked his hand against his forehead. He didn't have time for this but he couldn't leave the girls there.

"Okay, that's it," he said. "I am taking you both home!" Mikado grabbed them by the wrists and teleported out of the club. He didn't care if anyone saw him or not. The tadpole got both girls out to the front.

"Stay right there!" Mikado said. He pulled out his phone and called a taxicab. Chiyomi was staring up at the sky. Kururi frowned as her fun was over.

* * *

The life from Emily's eyes had gone out. She lay on the ground covered in dirt and bruises. Blood had dried between her thighs. Her cute shorts were dirty and ripped. Tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't even feel the pain. Smacking her leg did no good anymore. Laughter and crying filled the night sky. Was this how it's going to be? Would Roc keep tormenting her like this?

She shivered and shook her head. No. The tadpole couldn't take this anymore. This wasn't how this was going to be. There was only one way to end the nightmare.

Emily dragged herself to her feet and wandered out of the graveyard. Heh, what a fitting place for such a graceless end. But Emily felt too numb to make the connection.

* * *

Mikado looked behind him through the rearview mirror in the taxicab. Kururi and Chiyomi sat in the back rather quiet. He didn't have time for this. First, he had to try and shove the girls into the back. Chiyomi had trouble staying balanced as he and the driver got her inside. The intoxicated girl lifted her head.

"My wallet!" she shouted. "I can't find my wallet!" Mikado threw back his head and groaned. He told the driver to hang on and hurried back into the club. The tadpole came back with the wallet in his hand.

"Let's go!" he shouted. Now, they were heading back home. Mikado rubbed his forehead. He really didn't need this. Emily needed him, someone, anyone. Roc could be torturing her or worse by now. None of the other tadpoles could track her down. He hadn't even heard back from Celty about anything.

"Stop the car!" Chiyomi shouted. Mikado turned his head.

"Excuse me?" the driver asked.

"Stop the car!" Chiyomi shouted. The tadpole groaned as the cab pulled to a stop. The girl jumped out of the cab and started vomiting on the street. Kururi smiled and shook her head.

"Guess she couldn't take her liquor," she said to herself. Mikado frowned and looked at his phone. It was then it started ringing.

"Hello?" Mikado asked. He heard sobbing on the other end of the line. His stomach turned as he had a guess of who this was.

"Emily?" he asked.

"I can't take this anymore," she whimpered.

"Emily, calm down," Mikado said. "Tell me what happened." He could barely get most of the story out of her.

"Where are you now?" the tadpole asked.

"I'm at the top of the Tokyo Hands Building and I'm about to jump" she blurted out. That was enough to send him into alarm.

"Don't do it!" Mikado said. "I will be there. Don't do anything stupid!" There was no response on the other line.

"Hello? Hello?" he asked. The line went dead. The tadpole started at his phone as his heart sank. He turned to the driver.

"Please get them home," Mikado pleaded, bowing his head. "I have to go!" He paid the driver and jumped out of the cab. The tadpole didn't even listen as the driver yelled out to him.

* * *

Sadly by the time Mikado made it to the building, he saw Emily falling to her death. The tadpole didn't even get time to respond to his sister falling to her death. The sound of her body hitting the ground made for an unpleasant noise through the early hours of the morning.

"Emily!" he shouted. By the time he ran over to her, she was already dead. Mikado sank down to his knees. Right in that instance, his phone buzzed. He felt drained as he lifted his phone to see a new text message. Two words just added insult to injury.

"I win!"

Mikado's phone hit the ground.

_Kinder und sterne küssen und verlieren sich. Greifen leise meine hand und führen mich. Die traumgötter brachten mich in eine landschaft. Schmetterlinge flatterten durch meine seele_.


	20. World Clock

Match Twenty: World Clock:

By morning, Michael's awakening could be felt all over the world. Italy constantly smells like blood. At first, he tried to hide it. No amount of cologne could hide the smell of blood. So he gave up trying. What would it matter?

"We're all going to die anyway."

The others didn't like when he said that. Kiku seemed too calm about everything happening around them. The countries all shared in Sena's concern.

"Have you tried to take him to therapy?" Alfred asked. Sena shook her head.

"These always turn up dead," she said. The American man didn't know how to respond to this.

"Oh…" was all that he could say.

The older countries gathered together to talk about what to do next. Yao walked down the hall with Ju in tow.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked her at the door. She held her fist to her chest.

"Yes!" she said without missing a beat. "We have to protect our son!" Her voice trembled as she spoke. Yao put his hand on her shoulder.

"I understand," he said. The Chinese man turned and opened the door. Everyone was already sitting inside. Antonio stood up.

"You're here," he said. "Good. Come inside." Yao bowed his head and walked inside. His wife followed behind. Antonio stopped Yao in place.

"Is it a good idea to have her here?" he whispered.

"She won't have it any other way," Yao whispered back. "You remember the incident of that woman breaking into our house that I told you about, right?"

"Yes," the Spanish man said. "What about it?" The Chinese man paused and looked up. Ju walked over to one of the tables and took a seat.

"She's in protective mom mood," he said. "We think that our baby might be a target in their game." Antonio had a serious look on his face. He walked with Yao to their seats. The Spanish man clapped his hands. Everyone looked up. Antonio cleared his throat.

"The situation has gotten worse than how we first believe," he said. "Michael has been woken up. We don't know what's going to happen next." Whispers filled the room. Elizabeta raised her hand.

"Is that why Feliciano and Lovino both smell like blood?" she asked.

"Yes," Antonio said.

"What do we so now?" Gilbert asked. The Spanish man lowered his head.

"There isn't much we can do with Italy anymore," he said. "The best we can do is to track down the rest of the seals."

"Do we even know what they are?" Elizabeta asked.

"No," Antonio said. A heavy silence filled the air. Roderich threw his hand up in the air.

"This is just great," he said. "We do not know what we are doing."

"But we still have a chance, don't we?" Ju asked. Yao grabbed her hand. Antonio pressed his lips together.

"There might be," he said. That was all he would say. Yao gave him a stern look. Antonio shook his head.

"How is your brother?" he asked.

"Fine," the Chinese man said in a quiet voice. Ju looked up at her husband. She began to ask but he shook his head.

* * *

The meeting won't go anywhere again. They seem to be stuck. Ju finally stood up.

"What is the fourth seal?" she asked. The older countries looked up at her. They didn't have an answer. That was until Gilbert stood up.

"I might have something," he said. They turned to him.

"What?" Antonio asked. "What is it?" The Prussian man hesitated at first.

"I'm not sure about this. This could be nothing," he said.

"Well, what is it?" Roderich asked. Gilbert lifted his chin.

"I have noticed something off about the animals in my yard," he said. Antonito raised his eyebrow.

"How do you mean?" he asked.

"Well…" his friend said. "Last night, I saw all of these black cats staring at me from my bedroom window." The Prussian man paused as he thought about how it sounded. He held his breath for a second.

"You too?" Elizabeta asked. Everyone turned to her. Gilbert walked over to her.

"When?" he asked.

"Last night," she said. "And this morning." Roderich had a stunned look on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"I didn't know what to make of it," his girlfriend said. "Part of me hoped that I was seeing things." He pulled her into his arms. Antonio's fists tightened by his sides.

"That's the sign," he said. Everyone looked at him. The Spanish man lifted his chin.

"This is good," he said. "We have something work with here." Low chatter filled the room. Ju looked up at Yao. He took hold of her hand. They could make it through this. Jing would be safe. They at least had a piece to start from.

If they are going to act, they are going to have to do it fast. Michael's toxic was starting to kick in all over the world.


	21. Chort

Match Twenty-One: Chort:

Five deadly sins were released in Ikebukuro. Michael woke up. Time for Vozrozhdeniye to make their move.

Ivan already knew what was coming up next. He had already arranged things for his wife.

"Are you leaving again?" Li Ying asked last night.

"Yes," Ivan said.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"Just a few days," he said. Ivan turned and looked up at her. Lin Ying stood in the doorway. He walked over and kissed her on the forehead.

"I will be back," he said. She gave him a little smile. Ivan tried not to show any attachment towards his wife. He knows that she will be lost to the apocalypse. Her family was starting to fall apart. She didn't know about Im Yong just yet. Ivan pulled his young wife into his arms.

"Ivan?" she asked. Her husband said nothing. He just looked the past the darkness with no emotion on his face.

* * *

He needed to be at the airport at ten. Ivan does have breakfast with Lin Ying. They do not speak. She wasn't going to be alone. Wang Ja and Katyusha would be in the house with her. The Russian man didn't have to worry. He finished his breakfast.

"I'm leaving now," he said. "Thanks for breakfast." Ivan stood up from the table.

"Please take care," Lin Ying said. He bows his head and leaves. His wife sat at the table and watched him walk out of the dining room.

* * *

Ivan made it to the airport just in time. The members of Vozrozhdeniye were already waiting for him. Alisa turned to him.

"You are here," she said. "The plane is ready."

"Did you bring her?" Ivan asked.

"Of course," Alisa said.

"Where is she?"

"She's already loaded into the cargo section of the plane."

"Think it will hold?"

"I know so."

Ivan took a moment to think about it. "Good enough." Ivan walked to where the plane was waiting. The rest of the group followed behind one by one. No one in the airport looked up or asked questions.

* * *

-Ikebukuro-

Hecate looked up at the sky. She pulled out her phone and made the call.

"They are on their way," the nightcomer said. "What do you want me to do?" The call doesn't have to last long. Hecate nodded.

"Understood," she said. "Goodbye." She hung up her phone. Hecate then tapped the screen and went to the messenger app. She typed up a quick text and hit send. The nightcomer couldn't help but smile. Why should she stay silent on something big like this? Besides, she just had to throw in some curves to make this game more interesting. She looked out at the people walking around in the streets.

_Okay, Mikado. What are you going to do next?_

* * *

Ivan sat in the aisle of the plane. How many times had he flown to Japan now? It became an annual thing. Sometimes the wife came with him. This time, she couldn't. Too dangerous. He already made arrangements for her safety. He doesn't care about this game honestly but his vows were to protect his wife. Ivan promised that he would call Lin Ying when he landed at Narita Airport.

"How's your wife?" someone asked next to him. The Russian man turned his head. Alisa had a curious look on her face.

"Fine," Ivan said. "I'm leaving her alone for this trip. She doesn't need to see what's about to go down."

"Heh," Alisa said. "Since when are you the sentimental type?" He didn't respond. They would be in Japan shortly after lunch.

* * *

-Ikebukuro-

Kitano called his inner circle for a meeting in the middle of the night. They already had an idea of what was coming next.

"Which one is acting now?" Junko asked.

"Vozrozhdeniye," Kitano said. The nurse rolled her eyes.

"Are they still pouting about not having your tadpoles?" she asked.

"So what is the next move?" Etsuko asked. Kitano plugged in a flash drive into his laptop. He opened up and video in the folder.

"I received this from an unknown source two days ago," he said. The therapist hit play. The inner circle took a watch. A pale and skinny woman sat on the floor. The front of her white gown was covered in something like blood. Her bright blonde hair covered her face. A man in a plague doctor suit walked up to her. He placed gloved hand down onto her head. The man spoke in Russian. There were no subtitles in the clip. He lifted the woman's head. She let off a loud hiss. Despite the grainy image, the audience could clearly see her fang. The woman lunged forward for a bite. The man pushed her back. He said something else in Russian. There came more hisses and growls. The man patted her on the head.

The video stopped.

"Uh… what was that?" Osamu asked. Kitano closed up the folder.

"I believe they are trying to make the answer to our dear pets," he said. "From everything that I have seen, they are catching up to us."

"Is this all they have?" Aya asked.

"Yes," Kitano said. "And they are heading here to run a test."

"And you want intel on this creature so you can know what to do?" Etsuko asked. Osamu wrinkled his nose and snorted.

"Are you going to send Izaya out there again?" he asked.

"Not this time," Kitano said. They all looked up at him.

"You can't be serious," Daichi said.

"I'm afraid so," the therapist said. "He's preoccupied at the moment." Aya raised her hand.

"I can lend Dom out for this job," she offered up. Kitano raised his eyebrow.

"Can he speak Russian?" Junko asked.

"A little bit," the therapist said. "But it would be enough." Kitano took a moment to think.

"Good enough," he said. "Send him out this afternoon."

"Yes, sensei," Aya said, bowing. Junko frowned and rolled her eyes.

"Very good," Kitano said. "That is all. Have good night." Everyone bowed and went their separate ways.

* * *

The plane landed at Narita airport around 1:27 p.m. Ivan was the first to step off. The cargo would be shipped to the hotel later this evening. He didn't need to worry about Valya. She had been in a cell in the lab for months. A few hours in a crate would be nothing.

Feeding would be the only problem now.

Ivan felt someone tap him on the arm. Ivan turned his head. Alisa looked up at him with a stern look on her face.

"It's time," she said. "Let's go." Ivan nodded his head once. He and the rest of the group headed out of the airport to their planned destination.


	22. Daily Life, Cats, and Dinner

Match Twenty-Two: Daily Life, Cats, and Dinner:

-Ju-

I still have a life to live. I am not going to let some creepy ass stalkers keep me from running my clan and rising my son. I finished changing Jing's diaper.

"There," I said. Jing's chubby little legs kicked about. I smiled booped him on the nose. Jing is doing good, thank you. We took him to his check-up last week. Everything is good.

I picked up my son and put him in his crib. Jing sleeps easily. The cameras in his room puts me at ease. They have let me be able to work peacefully when I am home.

Speaking of which…

I pulled out my laptop and booted it up. Today would be a video call. I adjusted my headset. Yao went out grocery shopping for dinner tonight. I wanted some meat and tofu.

"Hey, Yao," I said this morning.

"Uh-huh?" he asked.

"I want some meat and tofu tonight," I said. He set down the TV guide and looked up at me.

"What kind of meat?" Yao asked. I took moment to think.

"I want beef," I said. I paused. "Is that okay with you?" My husband shrugged.

"That's up to you," he said.

So, he's out getting me beef for dinner.

I logged into the Skype-like program and connected with my client. I was to be meeting with a man from Taiwan. This was an old ally of my father's. I don't think I have seen him in years. He did send a condolence when my father died.

I saw the screen in the chat box pop up. A man in his forties appeared. His face was close up to the camera. I tried not to look up his nose.

"Can you hear me?" I asked. I strained for a listen.

"Hello? Hello?" I asked.

"Liao?" he asked. I tried to stay professional as I cleared my throat.

"It's Wang now," I said.

"Oh, right, right," my client said. "You gave married a couple of years ago."

"That's right," I said. "Could you back up some? I can see up your nose."

"Oh. Sorry about that. I'm not used to technology. Hang on." He pulled back and I got a better look at his face.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "And you can hear me just fine?"

"Yes, madam," the client said.

"Good," I said. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes."

The meeting goes swimmingly. He wants to add in some new items into our trade. Two of them are really good. One was tempting but I didn't think that it was going to be as profitable in the long run. I had to convince the client likewise.

"Trust me on this," I said. "I took the liberty of looking into the company's history. It looks like an MLM to me."

"MLM?" he asked. "What does that mean?"

"Multilevel marketing," I said. "It's a scam basically."

"Ah," the client said.

"Would you like me to go over the rest?" I asked.

"Would it be too much of a hassle for you?" he asked. I giggled and shook my head.

"No, not at all," I said. I was just working to have some normalcy in my life. Sometimes, I would glance over at my son. He was sound asleep in the basinet near the window. I couldn't help but smile.

But then I paused.

"Is something wrong?" my client asked.

"Can you hang on for a minute?" I asked. I stood up and walked over to the window. I was sure that the client was trying to talk to me. How long has that black cat been sitting there, watching me? I waved my hand in front of the cat. That furry little bastard didn't move.

"Go away! Get out of here!" I shouted. This wasn't the first time either. For the past three days, there have been cats watching the house. I have no idea what they want. At first, I thought I was going crazy. It wasn't until Yao asked about it yesterday morning. To be honest, I felt vindicated.

"What do they want from us?" I asked. Yao couldn't answer that.

"Shoo! Shoo!" I yelled back in modern day. The cat just sat there. Do cats even blink? I picked up a pillow and threw it at the window. The cat finally turned and left. I breathed out and dropped my shoulders. I heard cooing from the basinet. I shook my head. Damn it, I woke him up, didn't I? I sighed and walked over to the basinet.

"Shhh," I whispered over Jing as I picked him up. He's not crying at least. I might as well humor the child for now. I bounced my son up and down as I walked back to my laptop.

"I apologize for that," I said, putting my headset back on. "I had to deal with a strange cat staring at me in the window." My client spotted my son.

"Is that your son?" he asked. I looked down at the baby in my arms.

"Why yes," I said. I playfully waved Jing's little hand back and forth.

"Say hi," I whispered. "Say hi." The client giggled. I lowered my son's hand.

"I won't have him up here the whole time," I said. "I am just going to hold him here a little bit long."

"It's fine," he said. "You are a parent after all." Turns out, the call didn't last too long. When the client hung up, I felt better. Anything to feel normal. I won't live in fear all day.

* * *

"I'm home," Yao said hours later.

"I'm here," I said. I waited in the kitchen for my husband. He poked his head in the doorway.

"How was your meeting?" Yao asked.

"Good," I said. "We are getting somewhere. I managed to save him from a scam."

"I see," he said. My husband walked into the kitchen with bags of groceries. I looked up at him with my apron on. Yao noticed my knives in my hands.

"What's all this?" he asked.

"Oh, I was wondering if we can cook dinner together tonight," I said. Yao raised an eyebrow at me.

"What for?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"Just felt like it," I said. Yao set down the food and washed his hands. I couldn't help but smile as he whipped on his apron. You know something, guys who cook are pretty hot! I walked over and took out the food from the bags. Jing sat in his highchair as he watched me watch them in the sink. This dinner is going to be great.


	23. Rio

Match Twenty-Three: Rio:

-Rio-

I can tell that something isn't right. I knew it from the moment that witch first came into my house.

Let me explain.

My name is Rio. I was birth in Brasilia. I am non-binary and I practice Macumba.

The last part will help me explain what is going on.

It all started last month.

I hear the ground rumbling. I'm he only one who can hear it. I have learned to keep my premotions to myself. Still, I kept my ear to the ground. Still, I knew that something was coming for us. It started with the day that witch showed up.

She arrived in the airport. I worked as a cab driver. Guess who my passenger was. Yep. You guessed it. I was about to go on break when I heard on tapping on the glass. I turned and rolled down the window. Something inside of me didn't know what do make of her. She looked so pale. Despite the heat, she was all dressed in black. I blinked at her at first.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Can you drive me to this place?" this woman asked. She handed me a sheet of paper. I took it and read it. A puzzled look came over my face.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" I asked in a low voice.

"Yes," she said. Her face looked so stoic. I gripped the steering wheel. I could've told her that I was going on break. I should not help this woman.

"Listen, I am on break right now but I can get you to where you need to go," I said. Why was I saying that? Was she making me do this? I shook my head. This woman climbed into the backseat.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," I said. I put the cab into drive and pulled out of the airport. My stomach dropped as I pulled away. My eyes stayed in the rear view mirror and on the road the whole time.

* * *

Since then, things are slowly going wrong. I could the hear the whispers around my room at night. I am constantly smelling flowers around me. Grandma noticed it too.

"Have you be practicing your magic again?" she asked.

"No," I said. "It's not me." That old lady leaned in close to my face. I held my breath as I backed away from the tobacco and dirt smell on her body. Grandma gave me a stern look at first. She narrowed her eyes. Then she took a step back.

"Okay, I believe you," she said. I was relieved but I still had questions.

"Then… what is it?" I asked. Grandma took me by the cheeks. The stern look on her face made me panic.

"He's been found. He is coming for all of us," was all she would say. I didn't need to ask what she meant by that. Somehow, I knew.

And it was all because of the witch I picked up from the airport.

* * *

So far, I've only told one person about what was going on. My neighbor Carlos listened as I told him everything. I half-expected him to laugh at me. Instead, my old Cuban friend let it all sink in for a moment.

"And it's under the ground?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "Look, I'm not crazy."

"Didn't say you were," he pointed out. I frowned.

"But what should I do?" I asked.

"What do you think you should do?" Carlos asked. I paused. Nobody would believe me. They would just call me the crazy witch in the town. But if I don't do anything, we will all be doomed. I noticed Carlos reaching into his pocket.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"There is a man in Greece who can help you," he said. "He may be lazy and perverted but he's learning his mother's magic at an alarming rate. He can help you save the world." Carlos held out the piece of paper to me. I didn't know what to say. My jaw dropped. I took the paper without saying a word.

"Need help getting there?" he asked. I slowly nodded my head. Carlos leaned in close to my ear.

"Please close your mouth," he whispered. "You look like you're trying to catch flies." I slowly drew my mouth closed. My neighbor gave me a confident smile.

"Good," he said. "We should get going now. We don't have much time." I stood up straighter.

"Right," I said. "Hang on." After leaving my grandma a note, I followed Carlos out the door. I would tell my boss a more believable version of what I was doing later.


	24. Raphael

Match Twenty-Four: Raphael:

The plane touched down in Brazil. Tessa stood out from the crowd. She straightened up her sunglasses. She had a suspicion of where to start looking. Tessa pulled out her phone.

Close to noon, huh?

"Time to get to work," she said to herself. Her guide was to greet her here. Look for a man in a tan suit and a red flower. The nightcomer looked out into the crowd. She just wanted to get this over with and get back to her own mission.

Tessa pulled out her phone. It was close to noon now. The guide should be here any minute now.

"Tessa?" she heard ahead of her. The nightcomer looked up. A man in a tan suit held out a red rose. Looking at him, he looked rather decent-looking. Tessa raised her eyebrow.

"Are you my guide?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "My name is Miguel. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Tessa said. "Alright. Let's go." He held out his hand. Tessa looked him up and down. Miguel drew back his hand. The two of them left the airport after they got her luggage.

"Where do we go first?" Tess asked. Miguel handed her a piece of folded up paper. The nightcomer took it and read it.

"Heh," Tessa said. She shoved the paper into her pocket. Suddenly, Miguel's phone rang.

"Excuse me," he said. The man pulled out his phone.

"Hello?" he asked. Miguel got lost in a five minute conversation. He finally hung up.

"Something wrong?" Tessa asked. The guide turned his head while forcing a smile on his face.

"I've got to go," he said. "Family emergency. It won't take long. I will meet you at the location."

"Okay…" Tessa said with no emotion on her face.

"I will see you there," Miguel said. He held up his hand for a taxi. A cab pulled up and the man climbed in. Tessa waved him off. She too hailed for a cab. It didn't take her long to find one parked just outside of the airport. The nightcomer walked over and knocked on the window. The driver looked up at her. They rolled down the window, blinking.

"Can I help you?" the driver asked.

"Can you drive me to this place?" Tessa asked. She handed them a sheet of paper. The driver took it and read it. A puzzled look came over their face.

"Are you sure you want to go there?" the driver asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Tessa said. Her dead expression on her face did little to put the driver at ease. They gripped the steering wheel.

"Listen, I am on break right now but I can get you to where you need to go," the driver said. They shook their head. Sabine climbed into the backseat.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," the driver said. They put the cab into drive and pulled out of the airport. Their eyes stayed in the rear view mirror and on the road the whole time.

* * *

Tessa arrived at the ruins hours later. The sun was high in the sky by the time the cab stopped.

"Thank you," the nightcomer said.

"Sure," the driver said in a nervous voice. Tessa paid the driver and climbed out. They were more than happy to drive off. The nightcomer met up with Miguel at the top of the stone stairs.

"How was the drive over?" he asked.

"Quiet," she said. "The driver seemed scared of me. Have you cleared up your family emergency?"

"Yes," he said.

"Take me to Raphael," the nightcomer said.

"Of course," the guide said. He turned and walked down the stairs. Tessa followed behind. She held her pendant close to her chest.

The further down they went, the more she could feel the pulsing heat around her. Miguel looked over his shoulder. Tessa didn't speak. He pushed down his nerves and kept walking. They made it down to the bottom.

"This is as far as I can go," Miguel told her.

"Why is that?" Tessa asked. He turned his head with a sad smile on his face.

"I don't have your magic," he said. "The energy down the stairs would tear my body to pieces." Tessa bowed her head.

"Fair enough," she said. "Good day." They shook hands and Miguel walked away. Tessa waved at his back. She turned back to the bottom. The nightcomer held up her pendant.

The energy around her grew thick around.

Tessa closed her eyes.

A pulsing ring ran through her ears. The nightcomer opened her eyes and looked up. There he was. Raphael hung nailed to the cross wrapped in bandages. She could see the black blood leaking through. Tessa felt her whole body tremble.

Still, the nightcomer couldn't get close. Tessa knows that she will have to bind herself to the angel. But first, she is going to need someone to sacrifice of great value.

Now, that won't be so hard to obtain. She was just going to need a little help from her sister. Tessa smirked to herself as the wheels turned in her head.


	25. Thoughts of a Father

Match Twenty-Five: Thoughts of a Father:

-Alfred-

Little Florence looks so sweet sleeping in her crib. She's so small. Alfred reached out and poked her on the cheek. She doesn't know what kind of world she's in. He almost envies her in a way. She will get old soon and see the ugliness of the real world. He wished that he could keep her a baby forever.

There is a reason why he's worried.

Alfred's been having strange dreams lately. They were all about his daughter. She was much older. She looked about twenty years old. Little Florence was looking up at a stormy sky. She was looking for something. Her long wavy red hair looked just like her mother's. He could only see her dark brown jacket and jeans from where he stood. Alfred knew it was she just by looking at her back.

Florence reached her right hand above her head. Alfred wanted to reach out and grab her shoulder. She seemed to be within inches of his grasp. He reached out to his daughter. Why was she so far away? He tried to call out to her. No sound came out. Why couldn't he reach her?

The air around him felt so cold. But he couldn't feel it on his skin. A single landed on his non-existent cheek. He looked up at the blackened sky. Was that rain?

No.

Drops of blood started to fall. Alfred screamed as he covered his head. Through the cracks in his arms, he could see her looking back at him. He couldn't see her face. He tried to reach out to her again.

And then he woke up.

Alfred looked down at his baby. Little Florence looked like a little angel sound asleep. Was it possible for a baby to look that pink? She was safe for now. But what did that dream mean?

Now, the American man wasn't too keen on dreams. Usually, he would just forget his and move on. This time was different. Alfred picked up his little girl.

"I won't let anything happen to you, little dude," he whispered. He kissed Little Florence on the forehead.

* * *

-Yao-

He looked down at his son. How could someone so small draw so much chaos? Right now, Jing was sound asleep in his crib. Ju was out for the day. It would just be him and the kid.

At first, Yao thought that the mysterious women were all in Ju's head. He's not so sure about that anymore.

It started three nights ago. Yao was playing with little Jing in the backyard. It had been a nice mild evening. The Chinese man bounced his baby in his lap. He nuzzled the boy's face.

That's when he first saw her.

A figure stood down the pathway towards the neighborhood. Yao leaned closer for a better look. That figure looked like a person. Within one blink, the figure was gone. Now, Yao would've chalked it up for just seeing things.

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

Yao tried to keep it to himself. Ju didn't need any more stress. Last night changed the whole situation. Like Alfred, Yao didn't think much about his dreams. But this felt different.

The Chinese man opened his eyes to see a sea of black bamboo surrounding him. The chill of death ran all over his body. Yao could smell it all around him too. He covered his nose and backed up. Where was he? The Chinese man's eyes darted around. He couldn't find anywhere to go.

Clang!

The clashing of metal made Yao turn his head. Two figures were clashing with each other in the sky. He couldn't see who it but something inside of him told him that he knew one of them.

_My son!_

Yao tried to yell out to Jing to stop but no sound came out. His beloved son couldn't hear him either. From what he saw, the fighting got worse. Neither side wanted to give up. Each time their swords clashed; the blows grew more intense. It looked like it was going to never end. Yao's heart sank. He didn't want them to fight. But he didn't want his son to die either. It would be bad if the other fighter died too. Yao tried in vain to reach them. But his voice wouldn't come out.

Suddenly, one of the fighters falls from the sky. Who was it? Was it his son? He couldn't see. The other fighter floated in the sky. Suddenly, the forest grew darker around Yao.

He ran towards the falling warrior. The Chinese man had to see who it was.

Then he woke up.

Jing looked so precious sound asleep in his crib. Yao wished that he could keep his son a baby forever.

Yao turned around when he heard the door open. Ju stood in the doorway. His heart relaxed in his chest.

"Oh, it's you," her husband said.

"He asleep?" Ju asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Yao said.

"Good, good," she said. She walked over and looked down into the crib with her husband. Jing looked so peaceful sound asleep.


	26. Fallen Man

Match Twenty-Six: Fallen Man:

Ludwig heard a knock on his door. He set down the plate that he was washing.

"Who is it?" he asked, looking out the peephole. Feliciano stood outside with his pockets in his hands. Confused, the German man opened the door.

"Feliciano, what are you doing here?" he asked. The Italian man looked him in the eye.

"Ludwig, my dear friend," he said. The way he said this sounded so rehearsed. His tone was so flat. The German man blinked at first.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked.

"No," Feliciano said.

"Then… why did you come here?" Ludwig asked. The Italian man looked him in the eye.

"The angels are waking up," he said.

"What are you talking about?" his dear friend asked.

"It's all going to end," the Italian man said. "All of us."

"You're not making any sense," Ludwig said. "What are you saying?"

"The world is going to end," Feliciano said. The German man didn't need to ask what he meant by that.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Feliciano shrugged.

"Don't know," he said.

"And what am I supposed to do with this?" Ludwig asked.

"I don't know," Feliciano said again. He turned to leave. His dear friend grabbed him by the wrist. The Italian man turned his head. Ludwig had a desperate look in his eyes.

"What has gotten into you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Feliciano asked. Ludwig couldn't explain why he felt himself trembling.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Feliciano said. "Why wouldn't I be?" Ludwig shook his head. His grip loosened on Feliciano's wrist. The Italian man slipped out of his grasp.

"Good night, Ludwig," he said. The German man tried to reach out to him again with no success. Feliciano was gone. But somehow, Ludwig knew that wasn't his dear Italian friend.

* * *

-Tessa-

Love wasn't going to work for her. Tessa could get a date if she wanted. But it wasn't going to cut it for this ceremony. She needed something a little more purer. Children had to be the answer. They couldn't come from a big city. That would draw too much attention. It would have to be a village in the middle of nowhere.

"Miguel," Tessa said over the phone in her hotel room. "Do you know of any hidden villages in this country?"

"What do you plan to do?" he asked.

"I think I found how I am going to make my exchange," she said. There was a pause on the phone.

"I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Thank you," Tessa said. She hung up with a smirk on her face.

* * *

It's a cold day in the village. There were only fifty people here. Thirty-six of them were children. The village was way out of the way. The only way to get here through the narrow roads. Then you have to cut through the jungle. All through on foot. Miguel wasn't allowed to come with her.

"You're not coming with me?" Tessa asked.

"I can't," he said. "This is as far as I can go. I wish you luck." Tessa gave him a small nod. She watched him pull away. She didn't begin the walk until the car pulled away into the distance. Tessa didn't mind the cold. She kept her hands in her pockets. The birds in the background became the soundtrack to her mission. Sabine did her part. Now for her turn.

She would have to use her charms to make this work.

By sundown, Tessa made it to the hidden village of Ceu. (That wasn't the official name. That's just what Miguel called it.) She could hear the waves in the distance. The huts looked well built and put together. She could see the villagers moving about on a normal day. Tessa straightened up her cloak and walked towards the edge. A little boy looked up and spotted her. Tessa didn't even try to run. She just smiled and waved.

"Hello," she greeted the child. The boy tilted his head. When Tessa stepped forward he would step back. The woman gave him a curious look.

"Are you afraid of me?" Tessa asked in Portuguese. The child stared at her wide-eyed.

"Are you an angel?" he asked.

"No," the nightcomer said. He took another step back.

"Are you a… demon?" the boy asked. Tessa smiled as she shook her head.

"No," she said. The child blinked at her.

"Then… who are you?" he asked. Tessa gave him a full-mouthed grin.

"I am me," she said. In one flash step, the nightcomer appeared in front of the child. Tessa leaned down in front of her potential first victim.

"Tell me, are you a good child?" she asked. The little boy broke down trembling. His eyes looked so big. Tessa chuckled as she patted him on the head.

"Of course you are," she said. She stood up and walked into the village. The little boy turned and stared at her with big eyes. Who was that strange woman?

* * *

Kiku sat up straight in his room. He turned his head. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway.

"Oh, it's you," he said. A little smile crept across his face.


	27. San La Muerte

Match Twenty-Seven: San La Muerte:

Tessa played the big sister role so well. It took a little bit of effect to win over the children's trust. The trick was to not let the parents know.

She always stayed on the outside of the village. The nightcomer stayed hidden from the adults. It started with one little boy. Tessa gave him one little white stone.

"What is this for?" he asked.

"Rub it in your hands," she said. He gave her a strange look.

"Why?" he asked.

"You might see something interesting," Tessa said.

"What?" the child asked. The nightcomer smirked.

"Why don't you try it out and see?" she asked. The child still stared at her and rubbed the stone in his hands.

"Good," Tessa said. "Now drop it on the ground." The little boy dropped the stone on the ground. Both witch and child stared at it.

"Now what?" he asked. The nightcomer knelt down to him with a smile on her face.

"You run home now," she said. The little boy stared at her before nodding. He turned and ran off. Tessa stood up and waved. His parents probably won't believe him. If they did, they couldn't see her. She'd be gone by the time they came out to find her.

Tessa's scheme worked. The children would rub the stones in their hands and drop them on the ground at her feet. She never asked them for anything in return. Some of the children found Tessa a bit odd. But they still approached her every day. The adults never saw her. There were whispers about her but no one came to investigate. They came close a couple of times. But Tessa always kept herself well-hidden. All the while, she counted down the day to begin the ritual.

Then Christmas came.

Tessa walked up to the edge of the village. Everything was quiet. The sun hadn't even risen yet. She looked down at the stones on the ground. The nightcomer did a quick count. Her lips covered into a catlike smile.

"Perfect," she muttered. Tessa waved her hand over the stones. One by one they started to move into place. Each stone started to glow black. Sprays of mist started rising up. Tessa took a step back as she covered her nose and mouth. The mist sprays rose higher. The nightcomer waved her hand forward. The mist floated straight into the village. Tessa drew little circles into the ground with her toe. The little symbols started to move around. They started to disappear into the dirt. A screen of film popped up and went around the village.

That's when she saw him.

That first little boy that she met. He just stared at her with a curious and confused look on his face. Tessa had no emotion on her face as she gave him a small wave. The little boy froze in a gasp. He fell face down onto the ground. Tessa just turned and walked away. They would all be dead by sunrise.

* * *

BREAKING NEWS

Explorers come across a site of horrors. The bodies of children were found lying on the ground. The village was discovered when two German explorers heard the sound of wailing in the jungle. One of them managed to phone the police. The authorities have started the investigation. Witnesses say that the children spoke of a strange woman on the edge of their village loitering around. More details will be released as the investigation goes on.


	28. Storms, Blackout, and Cities in Dust

Match Twenty-Eight: Storms, Blackout, and Cities in Dust:

-Ju-

I have always hated thunderstorms as a child. It didn't help that my father was almost never around. Not that it would've if he was around. He wasn't exactly a tender man to begin with. He would've told me to suck it up. Yeah, it was that bad.

"Ju?" I heard in front of me. I looked up to see Yao's face really close to mine.

"Gah!" I shouted. "How long have you been standing there?" Yao chuckled.

"Not long," he said. "Are you okay?" I shook my head. The thunder rumbled in the background. I pulled my knees closer to my chest. I started to tremble. Yao put his hand on my knee. Our baby cried down the hall.

"Are you going to get him?" I asked.

"You sure you want me to?" he asked. I shook my head. Another roar of thunder ran through the sky. I guess Jing's scared of storms too. I didn't blame the kid.

"Do you want to come with me?" Yao asked. I jerked my head upwards.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Do you want to come and check on Jing with me?" he asked. It took a moment for the question to sink in.

"Uh, yeah, yeah," I said. My husband had to pull me to my feet. Lighting and thunder crashed outside. I winced and shut my eyes. Yao kind of tugged me along.

* * *

I always hated walking down the hall during a storm. Somehow, it didn't help that I couldn't see outside. Even the weatherman hadn't seen a storm like this in ages. I overheard Yao talking about something not being right with the weather over the phone.

"Hey, baby," I spoke up. Yao looked over his shoulder.

"Hm?" he asked.

"What were you talking about earlier on the phone?" I asked. The words came out choked up in my throat. Was my voice trembling? Thunder rumbled after my question.

"Nothing much," he said. "Just about how bad the storm is." More thunder boomed outside.

"Enough already!" I shouted. "Why does it have to be so loud?"

"Thunder isn't loud all the time," Yao said.

"That's not helping!" I yelled with my eyes shut. Our son's crying didn't help either. We made it to Jing's room. He lay in his crib wailing.

"Don't worry, baby," I said. "We're here." I walked over and picked him up.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," I said as I bounced him up and down in my arms. "We're here now. It's okay. Shhh. Shhh." I tried to ignore the thunder outside. I will not let my baby see me scared. The rain got harder as I heard someone chuckling beside me. Yao smiled next to me.

"What?" I whispered. He smiled and shrugged at me.

"You don't seem so scared anymore," he said. I shook my head.

"It's because of my son," I said. A little smile came across my face. But that ended up being short-lived when the lights went out. What the…?

"Oh," Yao said. My back started to tense up. Could this night get any worse? The thunder grew louder. I screamed as a big boom came with a huge flash of lighting. Jing cried in my arms. Before I knew it, Yao pulled me into his arms. I lifted my head.

"Yao?" I asked.

"Shhh," he whispered. Jing cried against my chest.

"Are you trembling?" he asked. I looked down at our baby. His crying faded into the thunder outside.

* * *

This isn't a normal storm. Something doesn't feel right. Yao and I sat on the nursery floor. This time, he held our son.

"I don't like this," I said to myself.

"I know," Yao said. I looked up at him. What was he talking about? I put my arms around him. Jing had calmed down for the moment. He's doing better with this storm than I am. I envy him in way.

"You okay?" Yao asked. I shook my head.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's going to pass in the morning." I wished that I could believe him.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked. Yao turned his head.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Ju," he said.

"Aren't you worried?" I asked. "Someone keeps stalking us. What do they want with our son? I'd rather die than to let them have them!"

"I know," Yao said. "I know." I balled up fists in my lap.

"Do you?" I asked. His eyes stayed focused on me.

"We've been looking into these women," he said. I froze as another round thunder rolled through the air. This time, it wasn't so loud. He had a serious look on his face.

"We have solid leads," my dear husband said. I didn't know what to say. I finally bowed my head.

"Thank you," I whispered. The thunder outside didn't sound so bad when I'm with my boys.

* * *

Oh. There's something that I have to mention before I forget.

I am having weird dreams again. Yes, yes. I know you've heard it before. But it's different. Last night's dream shook me. Usually, I would just keep my dreams to myself and move on. But this time, I couldn't keep it to myself. I lifted my head.

"Hey, Yao," I said. Again, my voice sounded like it was trembling.

"What?" he asked. I took a deep breath before I could gather up what I wanted to say in my head.

"I'm having dreams again," I said. I drew my knees to my chest.

"What is it now?" Yao asked.

"Cities laying in ruin," I said without thinking. "There were no people around. Nature had reclaimed the land. But it didn't look right. Everything was black and rotting. I could see toxic spurs floating up to the sky. All of the trees looked so dead and black. The world kept dying around me."

"Ju…" he said. I shook my head.

"But last night was really weird," I said. "I was floating in front of what used to be our house. No one was there but there was a deer standing on the top step. Only…"

"The deer looked like it was decaying, wasn't it?" Yao asked. I looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"How… How did you know?" I asked. "Wait… Are you…?" My husband looked so nervous at first. I waited for his answer. Yao lowered his eyes.

"Yes," he said. The color drained from my face.

"No…" I said, covering my mouth. Thunder boomed in the background.


	29. Atlas Cedar

Match Twenty-Nine: Atlas Cedar:

Lydia sat staring at her hands.

"I told him," she said. Her therapist glanced up at her from her notes.

"That's good," she said. Lydia fidgeted as her stomach turned.

"I don't know what to do with the baby yet," she admitted in a quiet voice.

"Do you want to keep it?"

Lydia shook her head. She rubbed along her cut down thumbnail.

"You have to make up your mind before it's too late. If you decide to get an abortion past the right term, you will get turned away."

"I don't want that!"

"Shhh. Please keep your voice down."

Lydia took in a deep breath. "You're right. I'm so sorry." She pressed her lips together again.

"He's going to be supportive of me no matter what I decide to choose," she added.

"Do you need a pamphlet?" the therapist asked. Lydia lifted her head.

"What?" she asked. The therapist reached into her desk and pulled out a stack of pamphlets.

"I can't make the decision for you," she said. "But I can give you information to look at." Lydia picked them up. They were information about abortion and adoption. She looked up at the therapist.

"Thank you," she said.

"All you have to is think about what you want to do," the therapist added. Lydia nodded.

"I am going to do it," she said. The older woman raised her eyebrow.

"Do what?" she asked.

"Testify," Lydia said. "I am going to do it."

"That is good to hear," the therapist said. "You might save another girl from him."

"Am I really though?"

"Between you and me, I think so."

"Why doesn't it feel like it?" Lydia looked down at her lap. "Can we just sit here and be quiet for a bit?"

The therapist closed her pen. "Sure, dear."

"Thank you," the young woman said.

* * *

Alfred held Baby Florence in his arms. He couldn't let his worries from that dream he had last night go away. The American man couldn't help but notice his friends were acting strange lately. No one was talking to each other like they used to. Everyone seemed to be uneasy. Japan seemed to be doing better least.

His attention came back to earth when he heard the phone rang.

"Hello?" Alfred asked. A female's voice came through whispering on the other line.

"Hello? I can't hear what you are saying," he said. "What? What?" The whispering kept going as if they hadn't heard him say a word.

"Hello? Hello?" the American man asked. Then the line went dead. Alfred looked at his phone.

"Hm?" he asked. That's strange. Wrong number? It reminded him of the time he could a strange girl looking to get into his neighbor's house. She stuck out like a sore thumb. Alfred spotted her when he was walking home one evening. The American man watched her for a moment as she tried to look in through the bay window. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Should he call the cops?

Finally, Alfred got out of the car and walked up to the girl as she tried to open the window.

"Hey!" he shouted. The girl turned and ran off. Alfred wanted to go after her, but he had the baby in the backseat of the car. The American man ended up calling the police. Not much came of this case. She hadn't really done anything. Alfred didn't get a good look at the girl's face. The police promised to look around the neighborhood.

He didn't know why he thought about her. Could this be connected to the phone call?

* * *

Lydia left the therapist's office. It was a good thing she had her therapy sessions in the morning. There were still people around in the public. Lydia looked around. Usually, she could walk through a crawl just fine. Some days were good. Some days were not so good. What is this morning going to be like?

Lydia lifted her chin and took a breath. _Right._

She started walking down the street. The woman could feel the eyes on her. Lydia shoved her hands into her pockets. She called Alfred in the lobby before handing out.

"How was your session?" he asked.

"Fine," Lydia said. She nodded as she spoke. The young woman gulped.

"I am coming home," she said.

"Okay," Alfred said. "See you then." Lydia hung up and walked outside.

Her eyes shifted back and forth. It's only this bad when triggered. It would just take a smell. The smell of beer. He smelt like beer that night. Lydia shuddered and shook her head.

_Just get home._

She forced herself to keep walking down the street. Lydia made it to the bus stop without incident. The young woman sat down on the bench. She pulled out her phone. Close to ten now. Just a few more minutes. Lydia moved her arms behind her head.

It didn't take her long to notice that she wasn't alone.

A shuffling noise drew her attention forward. An old homeless man sat down on the other end of the bench. At first, Lydia tried not to pay any attention to him. But then there was the smell. Lydia froze.

_What… is that?_

She slowly turned her head. The old man looked to be nodding off. They weren't that close. But she could still smell him. Body odor, tobacco, and booze. Lydia's stomach turned as she covered her nose. _Yuck._ The woman started to gag. Her head began to swim as old memories filled her head.

_No. Please don't._

"Excuse me," she heard next to her. Lydia whipped her head around. A man in a nicely dressed suit knelt over her.

"What?!" Lydia shouted. The man blinked.

"Uh… are you okay?" he asked. Lydia shook her head.

"No!" she wailed. She swatted his arm away. By now, the old man jerked his head upwards. He made such a loud snort that Lydia turned her head. The old man sat blinking away the sleep from his eyes. Lydia stared at him with big eyes.

"Sir?" she asked. "Could you please back away from me?" The old man gave her a strange look.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Please?" Lydia pleaded. Her eyes started to well up with tears. The old man looked so confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. She could barely hear his voice. Her mind started going back to that night. She only talked to that monster once. That was all it took to latch onto her. Lydia hadn't expected to ever see him again. How did he even know where she was staying? She hadn't told anyone which room she was staying in.

_Oh god. Oh god!_

"Miss? What's wrong? What are you talking about?" the old man asked.

"Hey!" the man in the suit yelled. "Back off, buddy!" Lydia started breathing heavily. _Stay away! Stay away from me!_

Suddenly, the bus pulled up into the stop. Lydia managed to jump and run towards the doors.

"Miss?" the old man asked behind her. Lydia sat down on the bus, panting. She didn't notice the two men looking confused. The young woman could only calm down when the bus pulled away. She tried to push that beer scent out of her head. Her heart pounded against her chest. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone.

"Hello?" Alfred asked. Lydia whimpered as she tried to speak.

"Lydia?" the American man asked. "Lydia, is that you? What happened? What's wrong?" The young woman finally took a breath.

"I'm fine now," she said in a shaking voice. "Just had a trigger."

"Are you okay? Where are you now?" the American man asked. Lydia took another deep breath.

"I'm coming home," she said. "I'm on the bus now."

"Do you have your water bottle with you?" he asked.

"Yes," Lydia said.

"Good. Just take a drink and breathe," Alfred said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of water. Lydia twisted the cap off and took a drink.

"Better?" the American man asked.

"Yes," she said in one breath.

"I'll stay on the phone until you get home, okay?" he asked. Lydia closed her eyes.

"Thank you," she said in a low voice. The movement of the bus seemed to calm her down.

"I'll get you something for dinner, okay?" he asked.

"Sure," Lydia said. "Thank you." It would be close to an hour before she got home.


	30. Bone Eater

Match Thirty: Bone Eater:

-Kiku-

Even the dust particles look so beautiful. I reached out the palm of my hand. It's the only thing that keeps me calm lately. Was I smiling again? I couldn't tell anymore.

My door slid open.

"Kiku?" Sena asked. I didn't turn around. Oh, that's right, she's in the same boat as me. Why doesn't she come down here with me?

"Kiku," she said again. Her hand rested on my shoulder. I turned my head. Why does she always look so sad around me?

"What?" I asked.

"Snap out of it!" she seemed to say. I can't really hear her voice sometimes. I think I was smiling at her.

"Stop doing that!" she shouted. "You are creeping me out!" But she doesn't understand. I think it is for the best. She's still new to this game around us. After all, that woman promised to keep my wife safe. She promised me. It's not like she would lie or anything.

But what about everyone else?

I have nephew now. Yao won't let me see him. I don't understand why. I just want to see his little face at least. She wants to see him too. Maybe that is why. She says that he is a chosen child.

"What does that mean?" I asked. She won't answer me. Something inside of me fills me with dread.

No. She can't have my nephew.

In that moment, I woke up. Sena had her hand raised above her head.

"Sena?" I asked. She froze and saw my face.

"Baby?" she asked. Sena sank to her knees and threw her arms around me.

"We have to save him," I whispered. Sena looked at me so confused.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"My nephew," I said. I slipped out of her grip. I rose to my feet and walked over to the open door.

"Kiku?" I heard her ask behind me. I looked over my shoulder.

"Are you coming with me?" I asked. Sena pressed her lips together. She finally rose to her feet. I watched as Sena came up to my side.

"Thank you," I said. We walked out of the room.

* * *

We made it to the main Wang House. I didn't know how I was going to do this. I just knocked on the door. Sena held my hand. We watched as the door opened. Yao peeked out the door.

"Konnichiwa," I said in a low voice. He stared at me for a long moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I cam here to see Jing," I said.

"Why?" Yao asked. I squeezed Sena's hand.

"We think he might be in danger," I said. My stomach turned as the words came out. Sena squeezed my hand.

"What do you mean?" Yao asked. His response threw me for a loop. I was expecting him to yell at me and slam the door in my face.

"I don't really know," I said. Sena turned her head and looked at me. Yao just stared at me. I waited for him to say something.

"Did you see some woman dressed in black too?" he asked.

"Huh?" I asked. Yao moved aside to let us in. Sena and I walked into the house without a word.

* * *

We all sat in the living room. Ju and Yao sat across from us. I lifted my chin.

"She wants him," I said.

"She as in…?" Yao asked. My eyes shifted left and right.

"The Woman in Red," I said in a low voice. Sena whipped her head around to me.

"You can't be serious," she said.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Yao asked.

"Well…" I spoke.

"Because he wasn't in a good place, remember?" Sena cut in. The way she said it brought something back to my mind. How long was I going to be here? I managed to come back to the surface. How long before she dragged me back under? I shivered at the thought. Sena began rubbing on my hand.

"So, what do we do?" Ju asked. I snapped back into reality.

"Huh?" I asked.

"How am I supposed to protect our son when I have strange women stalking us?" she asked.

"There's still time," I said. "Jing is only a baby. There isn't much she can do for now." Ju didn't look so convinced.

"What about those crazy women stalking us?" she asked. "I doubt they are going to wait that long." Yao had to rub her shoulders.

"I don't know," I said. I didn't sound so convinced. Ju glared at me in response. I didn't have an answer for her. I didn't know what women she was talking about.

"Have you tried to call the police?" Sena asked.

"What can they do?" Ju asked. "They haven't done anything."

"Didn't one of them break into the house?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "I don't know if it will stick, though."

"That's breaking in and entering," Sena said. "You can make a call on that." Ju sighed and dropped her shoulders.

"Fine," she said. "I will see what I can do." Suddenly, I heard a low whispering in my ears. I started rubbing on my right ear.

"Something wrong?" Sena asked. I shook my head.

"I don't feel so good," I whispered. Oh no. Is she coming back? No, she can't. Not now. Sena put her arm around my shoulders. My body went limp in her touch.

"Is he okay?" Ju asked. I wanted to say something, but the whispering grew louder in my ear. I opened my mouth and started trembling.

"I think we better go," Sena said. She helped me to my feet. My mind kept going in and out of this reality.

The last thing I remember was being pulled through the front door.

* * *

I am going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine. She has her arms around my shoulders. She tells me that everything will be alright. The dust particles looked so beautiful in the light. I reached out my palm to touch them.


	31. Fratello

Match Thirty-One: Fratello:

-Feliciano-

He still goes out in the late hours of the night. No one knows where he goes. Everyone has their eyes on him.

Feliciano sat on the bed in a cheap motel room. The shower ran in the background. His mind was elsewhere. How long before this world would die? Days? Weeks? Months? It didn't make any difference to him.

He turned his head when heard the water cut off. A woman with red hair stepped out the bathroom, drying her hair.

"Thanks for letting me use your shower," she said. Oh yeah, she was here. He met her at a bar hours earlier. She was dancing near the speakers. The first thing he noticed was her long red hair. It looked so good under the colored lights. She had her eyes closed, off in her own world. That brown leather jacket, jeans, and brown high-heeled boots looked good on her. Feliciano smiled as he watched her dance. He downed his drink and walked over to her. She looked up and noticed him.

"Ciao, bella," Feliciano said. She stared at him with a blank expression on her face.

"Oh, where are my manners?" the Italian man asked. He held out his hand.

"Feliciano," he said. "And you are?" His words held an odd hold over her. She said her name but it wasn't going to matter to him. It did these days. He was going to forget her come morning anyway.

"Sure," he said in the motel room. The woman walked over and crawled onto the bed. She kissed him on the cheek. He didn't respond. His guest frowned.

"I'm bored," she whimpered. Feliciano turned to her.

"Oh," he said. She did look cute pouting at him. Feliciano sighed and kissed her on the lips. She whimpered at the sensation. The Italian man pulled away.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded as she whimpered. It's always the same thing, isn't it? What could he say? He had his way with the ladies. But that wasn't entertaining enough, was it? The Italian man was looking for something bigger. Something more. He didn't know exactly but he knew it was coming. She laid down in his lap, looking up.

"What do you want?" Feliciano asked.

"Entertain me!" the woman whimpered. He had a dull expression on his face. They always cling to him. She reached up to touch his cheek. He pushed back her hand.

"Okay, okay," he said. "I'll give you something." The woman perked up. Might as well. She won't shut up otherwise. That's how all of them were now. He'd have one night with a girl he fancied and then never see them again. Some of them would come back for more. This one looked like she would try and come back for more later.

Feliciano climbed on top of her. She looked like a little lamb looking up at me. A cold smile spread onto his face. His phone had been ringing all night. There would be more messages in the morning. It didn't matter who would be calling. Feliciano would just delete them anyway.

Her towel ended up halfway across the room. Once again, she spread her legs for him. She knows her place.

"Heh," was all Feliciano said. He leaned down and kissed her on the neck. She did taste good. So did the others. Sex started to bore him. He wanted a deeper thrill.

"Tell me something, bella," Feliciano said.

"Huh?" his "date" asked.

"What do you fear most?" he asked.

"What?" she asked. His hands moved to her neck.

"What would you do if I started to choke you?" he asked. The woman looked confused.

"What?" she asked. Feliciano playfully began to choke her.

"What are you doing?!" she asked. His grip began to tighten. His living doll looked up at him with big eyes.

"Stop!" she screamed. Feliciano smiled and let go of her. She had a scared look on her face.

"What the fuck?!" she screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" The Italian man didn't say a word. What could he say? It just kind of happened.

"Heh," was all he said at last. That was the most thrill he got that night. But that slowly faded away as fast as it came.

She ended up running out of the room. He didn't chase after her. Usually, he would just leave in the middle of the night without saying a word. They wouldn't be actively looking for him anyway. She definitely won't be looking for him after he tried to choke her. At least he got something to happen tonight.

* * *

-Lovino-

Feliciano didn't pick up again last night. He would be dragging himself home in the early hours of the morning. Lovino hated what his younger brother had become. This wasn't him. This had to be an actor pretending to be his brother.

That had to be it.

Suddenly, the door opened. Lovino turned his head. Well, look who's here. Feliciano stood in the doorway with an empty smile on his face.

"Ciao," he said.

"Where did you go last night?" Lovino asked.

"Just out," Feliciano said. He walked past his brother to his room. Lovino turned his head. Was he humming? This couldn't go on like this. Lovino listened out for that final steps to bed. When he was sure that Feliciano had gone to bed, he pulled out his phone. Lovino stared at his screen. He didn't any choice but to do this. He didn't even like the guy. But he had to save his brother.

Lovino made the call.

"Hello?" Ludwig asked. The Italian man lifted his chin and took a breath.

"Listen, you bastard," Lovino said. "It's getting worse. I don't know what to do. You have to come and help." There was a pause on the other line at first.

"Where is he now?" the German man asked. Lovino quickly took another look down the hall.

"He's home now," he whispered.

"I'll be right there," Ludwig said. He hung up before the Italian man could say a word. Lovino looked at his phone. He hoped that this would work.

"Who was that?" he heard behind him. Lovino gasped and turned around. Feliciano stood in the doorway with a cold smile on his face. His brother forced himself to calm down.

"Uh… nothing. It was just a wrong number," Lovino said at last. He shoved his phone into his pocket.

"At this time of morning?" his brother asked.

"Right?" his brother asked. "That's what I said. I finally got them to hung up." The brothers stood silent for a moment. Feliciano shrugged.

"Heh," was all that he said. The younger Italian man turned and walked back down the hall. Lovino held his breath until he heard the door close at the other end of the hall. The boy finally breathed out. That was too much for him. He had to do something to fix this before things grew beyond repair.

Lovino shivered at the thought.


	32. Old World Panic

Match Thirty-Two: Old World Panic:

-Prussia-

They've woken up. But only two of them. They can't find the third one. There is still time. But where do we start? We now know who is behind them waking up. But how do you take down a coven of witches?

I made some calls to some churches in my area. So far, only three of them have responded. To my relief, they are taking me seriously. Turns, they have been keeping their eyes on Mam for quite some time now.

"They are on the move again," one of the priests said.

"Where?" I asked.

"Most of them are in England," he said. "One is in Japan."

"Where in Japan?" I asked. The priest got on his laptop and opened a map that he had saved.

"We tracked her down to Ikebukuro," he said. Why did that sound familiar?

"What's all the way out there?" I asked.

"The Gates to the Apocalypse," the priest said. "Many other things too. I sent two of my ministers to look into it."

"How is that going?" I asked. The priest frowned.

"I haven't heard back from them in three days," he admitted. He paused when he noticed the look on my face.

"Oh, don't worry," the priest said. "It's probably nothing."

"Is there anything we can do here?" I asked. He looked deep into my eyes.

"You want to help us hunt the witches?" the priest asked. I nodded. He stood up from his computer.

"And you are serious about this?" he asked. I clenched my fists by my side.

"Yes," I said. The priest gave me a calm smile.

"Come with me," he said. I followed him to the back of the church.

* * *

-Austria-

Feliciano creeps me out now. I barely see him around. But when I do, there's something not right about him. His soul is gone. I don't know how to get it back yet. Gilbert has been going around to different churches for help.

My phone rang beside them.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Roderich?" I heard over the other line. A confused look came over my face.

"Lovino?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Feliciano," he said. I sat up in bed.

"What happened? What did he do now?" I asked. There was a pause on the other line.

"He's staying out late at nights," Lovino said. That didn't sound like much on the surface.

"Did he do anything last night?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said. I frowned as I tried to think.

"How many times has this happened now?" I asked.

"I don't know anymore," he said. "I had to call that German bastard for help." His voice trembled as he spoke. I started shushing him on instinct.

"Come down," I said. Lovino went silent. I took a breath.

"I will see what I can do," I said. By that, I went I was going to a church. Hey, if Gilbert could get help from there. So could I.

I waited until after Sunday mass. I walked up to the priest.

"Excuse me," I said. He looked at me through his glasses.

"What is it, my son?" he asked.

"It's my friend," I said. "He has sold his soul to the devil." The priest stumbled back with shock.

"What?" he asked.

"It's really bad," I said. "Can't you help him?" The priest straightened up his glasses.

"Come with me," he said. I followed him to back.

* * *

-Hungary-

That is now Feliciano. It's a creepy young man pretending to be him. I have been keeping an eye on him. He's not even eating his favorite food. Feliciano tried to hot on me once. I tried to laugh it off.

"I mean it," he said. "You are pretty hot. Does Roderich pay you attention?" He reached forward to touch me. I slapped away his hand.

"Feliciano, stop!" I shouted. He gave me that smile that made me want to vomit.

"I was just kidding!" he said. I didn't like his "joke".

From there, I knew what I needed to do.

I waited for Roderich to come home. I stood up when I heard the door open.

"I'm home," he said.

"Welcome back," I said. I took him into my arms and hugged him. He seemed disheartened.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Roderich shook his head.

"I talked to the priest," he said.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He can help, but there is a catch," Roderich said. I let go of him.

"What?" I asked. He took a breath and told me what the priest said.

* * *

-Spain-

I too have to do what I need to do. I went downstairs to my basement. I unlocked the door and went inside. I looked at the back room and found the giant chest. Hello old friend. I walked up and unlocked it. Dusty old books sat inside. I picked up one of them. The title was in Latin, but I could still read it. This was a book of old magic. God, I haven't used this in years. I blew on the cover. I opened the book.

Where should I start? Gilbert told me that a coven of witches was behind this. They keep growing stronger by the minute. They are starting to scatter out. We have to try and stop them. I could turn to the church but it wouldn't be enough. Besides, Gilbert and Roderich have that angle covered. Maybe I should follow that path too.

But first I have to try my own way as a start.

* * *

-China-

I have to protect my son. They said that witches are after him. Ju would have my head if something were to happen to him. I can't blame her. Jing is her baby after all.

I scooped up the child in my arms. We're always holding him. I think it's because we are trying to protect him in a way. We've already had people breaking into our house twice. Ju isn't letting that happen again. Everyone on the clan has been on the lookout.

"What are you still doing up?" I heard from the doorway. I turned my head to see Ju watching us.

"Oh, I was just checking on the baby," I said. Ju walked over to my side. She looked down at our son.

"Precious, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. A thought crossed my mind.

"Say, let's go out tomorrow," I said. "Just the three of us." Ju looked at me funny at first. I put up my hand.

"I mean, if you want to," I said.

"No, it's fine," she said.

"Right," I said. We looked down at Jing as he slept in my arms.

* * *

-Belgium-

I don't know what's going on but I don't like it. Everyone is heading to their local churches for help with what's going on. But I have a different problem.

Someone keeps sending my letters to my house. There is no return address or anything. The first one came on a Sunday back in summer. I should've thrown it away then and there. But curiosity got the better of me. There was only one word inside.

Heks

I didn't even know what that meant at first. It started to come together through more letters. I can't get them to stop. I think someone is calling out to me. I don't like it. I just got another letter today. It's now that I know what I must do.

I picked up the phone and made the call.

"Yes, it's me," I said. "I am ready. Tell me what I need to do."

* * *

-Poland-

I sat in my office playing with the empty chamber in my gun. We're going witch-hunting, huh? Well, well, well. That should be interesting.


	33. Family Outing, Visiting Friends, and a Message

Match Thirty-Three: Family Outing, Visiting Friends, and a Message:

-Ju-

This was Yao's idea, really. I appreciate the gesture. I finished getting Jing dressed. Besides, he could use a nice day out. I made it down to the living room. Yao looked up from the couch.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. My husband stood up.

"Let's go," he said. I settled Jing into his stroller and followed Yao out the door.

* * *

The morning was cool and wet for our autumn. I think it might have rained last night. The stroller wheels ran over the wet leaves below. I turned to Yao.

"What made you want to do this?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Just felt like it," he said.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"Nowhere, really," Yao said. "I just wanted to walk around the city." I just nodded. I took a look around Beijing. Has this city always been so bright? I shielded my eyes.

"Since when has this city been so bright?" I asked.

"Bright?" Yao asked.

"Yes," I said. "It's too weird."

"Heh," was all he said.

"Heh," I said back. I kept my eyes around us. It's another busy day on the streets. Those women could be anywhere. It actually wouldn't be too hard for them to disappear into the crowd. We were out in the open.

We stopped at a crosswalk. A group of children stood in front of us. For some reason, I started to count the little red hats.

"Fourteen," I said.

"Huh? Fourteen?" Yao asked. I pointed around at the hats in front of us.

"Fourteen hats," I said. Yao took a count for himself.

"Oh," he said. The children crossed the street. We followed behind them. I almost wish that I had a camera to film my neighborhood. It would be like those videos of people walking around cities to film for relaxing their viewers. But I don't have a YouTube channel. I would also probably get in trouble for filming for no reason. I felt Yao nudge me in the side. I whipped my head around.

"What?" I asked.

"See something interesting?" he asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"Nothing," I said. Jing had been quiet up to this point.

Yao and I took the baby to the park. Because why not? I guess you just take your baby around the park when you to your baby out for the day. We walked along the walk path. I put my head on Yao's shoulder. This is the first time that I've felt so relaxed in a while.

"Thank you for this," I said.

"You're welcome," he said.

"Say, where are we going for lunch?" I asked. "I want some chicken."

"What kind of chicken?"

"Hm… I want something sweet and spicy."

Yao chuckled. "I'll say what I can do." I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

We stopped at a local Szechuan diner. Yao, Jing, and I sat near the window. The rea alone made me smile.

"Mmm," I said.

"Good?" Yao asked.

"Sort of," I said. "This isn't really my favorite tea."

"Then why did you get this?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"Just felt like it," I said. I took another sip of the tea. I shuddered as the dark liquid hit my tongue. We had Jing facing the café so that he could see everything. I took a napkin and wiped his little mouth. A teenage waiter came to our table.

"Welcome, are you ready to order?" he asked. I sat up straight.

"Chicken with white rice, please," I said. The waiter wrote down my order.

"How hot do you want it?" he asked.

"I want to burn my mouth off," I said. "I'm in the mood for fire." That child took down the note.

"And you, sir?" he asked my husband. Yao looked at the menu.

"Twice-cooked pork," he said. "White rice and mapo tofu."

"How spicy do you want it?" the waiter asked.

"Really hot," Yao said. The boy wrote down everything.

"Okay," he said. "I'll be right back." The waiter turned and walked to the back. Yao squeezed my hand.

"What?" I asked. Yao didn't say anything. He smiled at me instead. Our son cooed for attention. I turned and gently shushed him. Guess it's time to feed him. I reached down and pulled out a fresh bottle for him. Our food arrived shortly after.

* * *

"Hey, can we stop by Tina's place really quick?" I asked outside of the cafe. "I haven't seen her in a while." Yao took a moment to think about my request.

"I think we can do that," he said.

"Yay!" I said as I clapped my hands together. "I love you so much! You are the best!" I wildly hugged my husband. Yao just patted me on the back.

"Yes, yes," he said. I pulled out my phone and called Tina up.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Tina!" I said.

"Ju? It's so good to hear from you!" Tina said. "How have you been?"

"Good," I said. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, why?" she asked. I felt like flying up from the sky.

"Sweet!" I said. "We'll be right there!"

"Okay, bye-bye," Tina said.

"Bye," I said. I hung up the phone grinning. I turned to Yao, holding up my phone.

"Shall we get going?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. We headed off to Tina's place with the baby in tow.

* * *

Yao and I made it up to Tina's front door. I had to force myself to calm down as I rang the bell. I pulled the stroller back as the door opened. Tina stood six and a half months ago. We squealed like two hyper little girls. I happily hugged her. Yao just stood back and watched us. He shook his head to himself. Tina led me into her apartment. My husband pushed the stroller inside with him.

I don't know how long we stayed at Tina's apartment. I was just happy to be talking to my friend after so long. She and I had been so busy.

"Have you thought up names yet?" I asked. Tina shook her head.

"We can't really decide," she said.

"What do you think you are having?" I asked. My friend perked up.

"Mike and I decided not to find our until the baby's born," she said. I looked stunned for a moment before I perked up.

"That's just what I did," I said.

"Oh yeah, you did do that," Tina said. The whole, Yao sat off to one side with Jing. He didn't say a word. He just bounced the baby in his arms. Whether he was bored or not, I couldn't tell. Mike wasn't home at the time either. I think it was work or something. I didn't ask. I was just happy to be talking to my friend again after many months.

* * *

My boys and I finally made it back home by nightfall. Honestly, I really did lose track of time. When I am with Tina, Mei, and or both, time just disappears. I don't know how that happens. I stretched my arms above my head.

"Let's just order in tonight," I said. "I don't feel like cooking tonight."

"Fine by me," Yao said. I made it into the living room when I noticed the light on the answering machine blinking. (Heh! An answering machine. My father bought that in the 90's. Only his old clients and contacts use it. Somehow, I didn't have the heart to throw it out.)

"Hm?" I asked. I couldn't remember the last time anyone left a message on the answering machine. Who called while we were out? Curious, I walked over and pressed play.

"One new message," the machine said.

"Hey, Liao-Xiānshēng," an old man's voice said. "We need to talk. Lady Fan is back. She will be coming to Beijing in two weeks' time. I had to warn you before it was too late. I don't know how you're going to get out of this one. I wish you luck."

"End of messages," the machine said. It beeped as I stood there with a confused look on my face. Who was Lady Fan?


End file.
